Craters
by PrincessOfJakku
Summary: After Rey begins hearing mysterious voices in her head, Luke sends her on a mission that changes the course of the Jedi as they know it. A journey to a lost salt land, a mysterious ice fox, and two sworn enemies are the only variables that could change the course of the galaxy— forever. Set just minutes after The Force Awakens: The Last Jedi AU. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello all! Welcome to my first published fanfiction! It's going to end up being short-ish, maybe like 30 medium sized chapters when it ends. Sorry for the short chapter, chapters will increase in length as the story progresses. Please leave a review if you have the time! Thank you and happy reading!**

* * *

Chapter 1

Rey's hand is getting tired.

It's been more than a minute. It's got to have been.

She tries not to show that she's frustrated.

 _Can't you see, old man? This stupid Lightsaber has been through the galaxy and back for people to get it to you._

"Who are you?"

She looks up. His voice is rusty, as if he hasn't used it in a long time.

Neither has Rey. She clears her throat before speaking.

"I'm Rey, sir. Um... is this yours?"

Her words do as intended and bring attention back to her Lightsaber.

Luke extends his hand, but doesn't pick it up. Rey tries not to cringe at his very visible robotic joints.

She tries to look happy, vibrant, even _energetic_ , none of which she currently is.

"Rey?"

 _Take the Lightsaber and let's go!_

"Yes, Sir?"

"Are you Force sensitive?"

 _The million credit question._

"I think so."

"Yes or no?"

 _Well, I've never had any training before, but I did beat your idiot apprentice in a Lightsaber battle. Does that count?_

"Um... yes. I am."

 _I hope._

"You want training."

 _Less and less._

"Yes, Sir."

" _You_."

 _Ouch._

"Um, yes, Sir."

He stares her down. She tries to look intimidating.

"I shall think about it."

 _And I shall stand here for another ten hours waiting._

"Yes, Sir."

Rey turns her back so he doesn't see her eyes roll. She climbs back down the mountains, up to the old Jedi huts, chooses one, and determinedly sits down.

 _I can wait._

 _I'm used to waiting._

But this kind of waiting is different. She knows she has a deadline. She knows the First Order is rebuilding their forces right then and there, and she knows that Luke knows too.

It seems like hours pass.

Rey thinks she's heard footsteps multiple times; it's turned out to be nothing.

 _That's it. I'm going crazy._

 _All Jedi are crazy._

 _All Force users, you mean._

Rey opens her pack and pulls out some food, as well as a dusty lantern she found on the Falcon. The food is in bigger quantities than she was accustomed to on Jakku, but it's equally bland.

 _Ugh._

She shakes her lantern, hoping against hope that it'll light up. When it doesn't, she slams it down on the dusty floor and leans against the wall.

 _Great. Just great._

She should've known that a lantern sitting in a supply closet for forty years wouldn't light up.

Life on Jakku was so much simpler.

 _And I haven't even started training yet. Yikes._

There are definitely footsteps outside now. She peeks outside the hut, curiosity going against her better judgement.

"Hello?"

"Do not speak to me out of turn."

 _How fun._

The lantern chooses that exact moment to spark and explode. Rey shrieks; Luke dashes in. There are burn marks on the walls, and a small fire in the corner.

Rey goes red. "I didn't—"

"Is it because you were angry?"

"What? I don't—"

He stares her down.

"Look, there are better ways of getting out your feelings. Anger leads to the Dark Side. I honestly thought..." His voice trails off, and he exits the hut mumbling.

 _What the Force? What just happened?_

 _Well, I'm certainly angry now._

Furiously, she kicks out the fire with her foot. Luke's still mumbling. Trying her best to not do a cruel imitation of the crazy old man, she leans against the ancient walls and tries to sleep.

* * *

Smashing the mask was a mistake.

He knew it would be.

But of course he did it.

Kylo knows he's in trouble with Snoke, too.

 _Stupid scavenger._

But she was far from stupid. For fifteen years on Jakku, she was rather intelligent.

And now she's messed things up with him and Snoke even further.

Without even knowing it.

 _She is a walking disaster._

 _And now she's in training to become even more of a walking disaster._

 _A trained walking disaster._

 _Oh, Force._

Kylo wishes the Supreme Leader would see eye to eye with him on this. If not anything else.

Spitefully, he imagines exactly he'd say to Snoke if he was positive there was no chance of being tortured after.

 _First of all, I'd just gotten done with murdering my father. Your orders._

 _Then, Han's stupid Wookiee shot me with his ultra-powerful bowcaster. Not my fault._

 _Then the untrained scavenger decided to try and kill me. Sort of my fault… but also yours. You were the one who ordered me to do all those things that made her hate me._

It's been two days after the explosion of the Starkiller Base. Kylo has been tortured three times by Snoke, and his scar hasn't gotten any better.

Worse, he's been hearing random explosions when it's been totally quiet.

 _That's not good._

He's not going to tell the Supreme Leader. He'd be done for.

 _It's just the aftermath from Starkiller. I was on the ground longer than I probably should've._

Plus, he's exhausted. The Supreme Leader has been paranoid the scavenger will show up at any moment with dual lightsabers, the power of Yoda, and the wit of Obi-Wan.

It's day two.

 _She won't show up for at least another month._

 _Hopefully._

It'd be better for the both of them. Better trained, hopefully one of them not brutally wounded...

 _I could've beat her if I hadn't been shot._

 _Sorry excuse._

He ignites his red crossguard Lightsaber. It's stayed with him for this long. It will have to do.

But it is unstable.

It crackles in his hand, and if he isn't wearing a glove, the sparks might burn his hand.

 _I think it's time to complete it._

He stands up. It'll be good to get away from the Supreme Leader for awhile anyway.

* * *

"Hello?"

Rey's eyes open. She squints at the sudden sunlight. She's not surprised to see Luke ducking under the low doorway of her hut.

"Hmm?"

A second passes when Rey realizes her mistake.

"Oh. Sorry, Master Luke."

"I have decided to train you."

Rey bites her lip.

"Thank you, Master."

She hastily jumps out of her cot and bows to her new master. _How pathetic._

 _Don't think that! He might be able to read minds!_

"No, I cannot read minds."

She jumps.

"I can, however, sense your inner conflict."

Rey gulps. "I..."

She bows her head.

"Sorry, Master."

"No need to apologize. Come along."

 _What fun._

She tries not to smile too broadly at her own remark. On Jakku, her inner voice was her only friend. Even if her inner voice was cynical and sarcastic.

Along their way up the mountain, Rey puts up her hair, and ties her boots. She tries not to show that she's out of breath: she allowed herself to take breaks on Jakku. Abruptly, Luke stops. It takes all of Rey's willpower not to crash headfirst into him.

"You met him."

 _What?_

"Who, Master?"

"My nephew."

 _Ugh, the Skywalker bloodline._

"Sir, I still don't know—"

"Ben Solo."

Rey frowns. Where has she heard that name before?

"Who?"

"He calls himself Kylo Ren."

 _Ah! I should've known! A Skywalker!_

"Oh. Yes. I met him."

 _And it wasn't happy._

"Ah."

Preparing herself for more questions, Rey is surprised. "Um... is that all?"

"I suppose so."

Rey looks down. Surely he knows.

"He killed his father. Didn't he?"

 _Yes._

 _I don't want to deliver the news! This isn't fair!_

"Sort of...?"

Rey cringes.

 _Life isn't fair, Scavenger._

Rey gasps. She must've jumped three feet in the air.

Luke turns around, his eyes filled with tears.

"Is something... is something wrong?"

 _Yes!_

"No. Nothing's wrong, Master."

 _Just heard your psycho nephew in my head. No biggie._

Luke sits down. He's going to need a minute, Rey realizes. _I guess I can just.. sit here, then. Don't mind me._

 _Oh, Force! This isn't good! Did I really just—?_

 _What if he can find my location?_

 _What if I'm putting Luke in danger?_

 _He's the last Jedi!_

She has to get out of here.

"Um... Master Luke?"

"Yes?"

His voice is heavy. Rey sees guilt in his blue eyes, still clouded with tears.

She looks down.

"I need to leave."

If she was looking up, she knows he would've struck her.

 _I know I'm your only hope. But I'm a danger to this island._

"Whatever for?" His voice is masked with what she knows is hurt.

"It's... it's important. I'll be back soon. I promise. It's just... I've been hearing voices and think I'm going crazy and..."

She tries for an uneasy smile.

To her surprise, Luke smiles back.

"Ah, that's just the Force ghosts."

 _No, I don't think so._

"It is?"

"Yes, it's your ancestors giving you advice. That's what they were saying, right?"

 _No. "Life isn't fair" isn't advice._

 _"_ I think so _."_

Luke's smile is almost... _fatherly_. "Here," he says, handing her her Lightsaber back. "Travel to the island on the far side. There, you may converse more freely with those Jedi we have lost."

"T-thank you, Master."

 _Oh, no!_

She tries to smile guiltily at Luke as she descends the steps.

 _I'm the worst Jedi trainee ever to walk the galaxy._

 _Well, except for Kylo Ren, of course._

Rey allows herself a small laugh as she scrambles down the mountain.

* * *

What made him do it?

He was piloting his spacecraft, looking for the planet that had the most and best Kyber crystals, when he'd heard the scavenger's voice.

 _I don't want to deliver the news! This isn't fair!_

And, like the hot-tempered idiot that he was, instead of contacting the Supreme Leader, he'd responded:

 _Life isn't fair, Scavenger._

If it ever went through, Kylo was sure he'd given the scavenger a heart attack (and by doing that, given Luke one by default: Kylo's sure he's watching her like a hawk).

Now she knows.

He remembers what happened when Snoke first read his mind. Snoke was always able to access his thoughts, his emotions, and best of all, contact him after the fact.

He's taken extra care not to inflict the same effect on his prisoners. Not that he's a prisoner.

Apparently not enough care.

As a matter of fact, Kylo feels freer than he has in a long time. He's finally where he wants to be, piloting his own spacecraft, and for a worthy cause, too.

He's actually pretty excited to go to Crait, the home of the red kyber crystals. It's a weird, almost magical planet that's almost always empty.

Maybe he'll be able to find what he's looking for and complete his Lightsaber.

However, it's taking a while.

He huffs.

 _What news would she deliver to Luke, anyway?_

Deep in thought, he fingers his crossguard Lightsaber. Then he pauses.

 _Oh._

Sure, he regrets it. It was probably the worst life choice Kylo's ever made.

And it turned the scavenger against him even more.

The scavenger he was trying to turn.

 _No wonder._

He knows he can't afford to think thoughts such as these, for Supreme Leader Snoke can access his mind whenever he chooses.

He shakes his head to clear such rebellious thinking.

A beeping on his radar informs him he will soon have much more to do than think.

He's arrived at Crait.

But the usually low life reading is now off the charts.

Kylo frowns. He wonders if, somehow, the scan had malfunctioned.

He's about to refresh the scan when his sensor informs him of something much more pressing.

According to his sensor, a short-range missile is being launched from Crait towards his ship.

He moves to dodge, when—

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I've already written a lot for the next few, so expect an update daily until I finally catch up. Make sure to leave a review and follow/favorite if you'd like!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! So, it's been less than a day, and we already have 45+ views! I'm very happy about this response, and hope you'll stay until the end! I hope to post chapters daily, as most of this is pre-written. In addition, thank you to Anna Skywalker 15 for reviewing the fanfic! Also, I apologize for the lack of page breakers in the last chapter. Once again, this is my first time posting, and I promise it'll be better ordered in the future. Happy reading!**

* * *

Rey's found the island.

It's taken many hours, but eventually she sees a single boulder protruding from the ocean that she decides technically counts. She closes her eyes, willing herself to feel the thrum of the Force that Luke promised would be there.

She feels nothing.

She tries again.

 _Help!_

She lets out a little exclamation. She hopes Luke's not listening on the radio.

 _Okay, no, it's all good. Kylo Ren is in trouble. There is nothing wrong._

 _Things may be going in your favor, actually._

 _That is not Light thinking, Rey._ Honestly.

She forces her restless mind in another direction, forces it to think of what to say to Kylo Ren.

 _What's wrong?_

She smirks to herself.

 _There. Now maybe he'll think you're actually sympathetic. Maybe he'll give you his coordinates so you can track him down and kill him._

 _Not Light thinking, Rey._

Suddenly, so obvious Rey can't believe she didn't see it before, a shining beacon of Force erupts into her sight.

But it's not on Ach-To.

It's on some neighboring planet called Crait.

Rey shrugs.

Maybe Luke was wrong.

 _But what if that's where Kylo Ren is?_

 _He couldn't possibly be this close to Luke and I without sensing us. It has to be something else._

Rey comes to a conclusion as her computer asks if she'd like to land on the supposed Force island or not.

She says no.

She already knows where she's going.

* * *

Kylo Ren hurts.

The scar on his face appears to have opened up again, he's cut on his leg, and his ears... what's wrong with his ears? Sure, they're ringing, but—

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Kylo opens his eyes. His vision is blurry. No, there's definitely someone in front of him.

They're not happy.

They're smashing up rocks with their Lightsaber.

 _What the-?_

They seem to notice his return to consciousness.

" _Well?_ " They demand.

"W-well what?" He manages to get out. His lips are cracked.

He suddenly finds a Lightsaber pointed to his neck.

"Is this a trap?" The voice interrogating him trembles.

"What? N-no!" Kylo makes an attempt to get up, but is shut down immediately by not one, but two Lightsabers aimed at him.

One of which belongs to him.

"Hey!"

His eyes finally refocus. He blinks hard.

 _Force. It's_ her.

She glares down at him with a fiery power he's only seen once before.

Both times he's been at the business end of a Lightsaber.

He rolls his eyes, trying not to show how pressured he feels. "How did we get here?"

Her eyes narrow. "I don't know about you, but _my_ engine failed. I don't know about you, but _I_ got here on complete accident."

 _Part of what she said was a lie._

He can detect it in her voice; there's a slight raise of an octave. He shrugs. _That's her problem_.

"Great. Just great. And I'm assuming you have a valid reason not to kill me?"

She watches his every move, prodding the Lightsabers closer with every breath he takes.

"Well... I know Luke and Leia'd flay me alive if I slayed their Golden Boy."

" _Hey!_ "

"But other than that, I need you to fix my X-Wing."

"And _what_ makes you think I'm going to do that?"

"I'll turn you into the Resistance if you don't. We're right by their base, you know."

 _So that's what the life readings were._

"Uh...yeah. I knew that."

Her eyes narrow further, making him positive that she, like him, has detected his lie.

"Look, I don't know about _you_ , but I'm not totally into the idea of working with my sworn enemy, so—"

" _DO YOU THINK I AM?!_ " She bellows, setting Kylo off guard. She's obviously given this a lot of thought.

She takes a few deep breaths, and Kylo feels the air grow less tense. He waits uncomfortably.

"Listen, I'm not saying we have to be anything less than enemies, but we have to survive until we get out of this stupid crater."

 _Crater?_

She smacks her forehead. "Oh, right— we're in a crater."

Kylo looks around. He recognizes the sharply sloping cliffs, the solid rock bottom, and would probably be able to see more had it not been for the weapons pointed at his chest.

"Right. So... enemies, trying to survive together."

She frowns.

"Um..."

Kylo rolls his eyes. "You haven't happened to think of what our masters would take this as, have you?"

"We won't be _alive_ to _see_ our masters if we don't get out of here!" She shoots back.

 _Which wouldn't be all bad, to be honest._

"And what you said to me in my head?" She demands.

"Oh right, _that_."

She huffs, but she looks like she's going to wait.

"Yeah... I've kind of been trying not to listen to your thoughts for the past few days, because I read your mind and accidentally might have created a Force bond..." His voice trails off, and he's aware of how pathetic he sounds.

" _WHAT?!_ " Her eyes widen to the size of Death Stars.

"I'm... sorry!"

He cringes. He's never really apologized to anyone before. But he feels like this time warrants an apology.

"Humph."

The Lightsabers are removed from his chest. He starts to breathe normally.

"Go ahead and escape if you'd like. I've already tried."

"You were going to just leave me for dead if you could?"

"Why, yes, I would've."

 _I guess I sort of deserve it._

 _No! Stop! Snoke will kill you!_

Rey's moves away from him, and Kylo finally gets the opportunity to realize where he is.

His beloved modified TIE fighter lies in ruins. Rey's ancient X-Wing is in debris a few hundred yards away.

He opens his mouth to speak, but she interrupts.

"I've checked the engines. Dead. There's no hope of fixing them."

"So what's your plan?"

"We send up a distress signal, once we can build one. When the Resistance comes, you hide, I smuggle you to a ship, you disappear."

She sounds so sure of herself.

"And how many rations do we have?"

"Next to none. Apparently we were both planning for day-long trips. We could be here for weeks."

Kylo throws up his hands. "That's it, then. We're dead."

"I'm not done. I saw some plants on the far side of the crater. If worst comes to worst, I could probably hydrate them enough to make them edible."

 _I get the feeling that your and my definitions of "edible" are very different, Scavenger._

Rey frowns. "Oh, that reminds me. We don't have much water, either. On the bright side, though..." She pauses, and grabs a fistful of dirt. "We have plenty of salt!"

"That's _salt?_ "

"Yeah."

Kylo sighs, shuffling his feet through the stuff. "How much water?"

"Um... less than two tanks' worth."

"That won't last a _day!_ "

Rey looks down.

Kylo suddenly becomes annoyed.

"Okay, I guess it's up to me to save our skins, then, right?"

Rey looks back up at him in shock, speechless.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. First— we need a water source."

"But... you're bleeding."

Kylo looks down at his leg. _True enough_.

"Do you have any bandages?"

"No. My X-Wing was at the bottom of the ocean until Luke gave it to me. I don't think you'd want to use any of the bandages even if there were any."

Kylo scoffs. "It's not up to us to decide the quality of the bandages. If Luke's X-Wing has bandages, we use the bandages."

Rey rolls her eyes. "Fine. Be my guest."

She moves away from her wrecked ship, and starts for a narrow exit to the crater.

She looks back and notices him staring at it.

"Don't get too excited, it doesn't go up. Just... out."

"How long, exactly, was I out?"

She shrugs. "I dunno. Half a day. You were knocked out when I got here. You're lucky to be alive. Your copilot didn't make it."

 _I had a copilot?_

Rey smirks. "Of course, you're too vain to notice. I want to give him a proper burial."

This surprises Kylo as he occupies himself by hunting through the wreckage.

"But he's on the opposite side."

Rey stops in surprise. "That doesn't matter. He's still dead. Everyone deserves a proper burial."

Kylo shrugs. "Suit yourself." His leg stings.

Rey disappears through the opening, calling, "I'll be back before sundown."

Kylo doesn't find bandages.

* * *

Rey has to turn to her side to keep with the crack that runs through the planet. She's hoping against hope that there's water. Simple physics tells her otherwise.

 _We'll die if there's no water._

 _There are hardly ever perfect survival situations. We're probably just unlucky._

Rey's been extra careful to keep her thoughts clean since she found that she apparently has an audience, Kylo Ren.

Worse, she had to act like she was being charitable to the monster in order to get him on her side.

She half hopes he bleeds out from his wounds. But she knows better— he's her only hope to get out of here alive.

And just like that, the crack ends.

Rey screams in frustration, hearing her voice echo again and again against the walls. Tears well in her eyes, and she sits down on one of the boulders, trying to calm herself down.

Then she notices that there's a tiny hole that she might be able to squeeze through.

She makes it with only a few scrapes on her knees, and as she's getting her feet through, she sees it.

She gasps.

It's water. It's a smaller crater than the other one, but it's filled to the brim with water. Shadows fall hard around it— there's still no way of exiting the crater. But it's water. Rey unites her boots and gratefully dips her toes in. It's ice cold. She shivers before remembering to fill their canteens with the liquid. She lets out a loud cheer, and splashes herself before flopping down on the beach. The shadows are growing deeper. She needs to get back.

Reluctantly, Rey takes one last look around the lagoon before exiting out of the narrow entrance.

 _I think it should be said how lucky I am._

...

It's twilight when she finally makes it back, and it's getting colder. Rey shivers. She regrets getting her feet wet.

It's too dark to make out anything.

"Hello?"

"Over here."

Rey stumbles as she makes her way over to Kylo Ren. He's sitting under an overhang that doesn't provide much shelter, especially in the event of the storm.

Critically, Rey takes note of this, promising herself to find them a better shelter in the morning.

"Did you get any water?"

Rey slaps her head. "Right— that!" She grins as she pulls out the two canteens. "Ice cold water, less than three miles from here."

"But that's impossible. Simple physics—"

Rey shrugs. "That's what I thought, too, but I suppose there might've been some stone that could've worked to pool water. Whatever the case, we're extremely lucky."

Having already drank at the lagoon, she only watches as Kylo drinks rapidly from the canteen.

"What about food?" He finally asks when it's empty.

Rey shrugs. "We can always use the desert plants."

"I'm not eating those."

Rey rolls her eyes and ignites her Lightsaber.

"Are you trying to _threaten_ me?"

Rey laughs, and shakes her head now that there's a little light. "No. I'm trying to make a fire."

She gathers what little flammable materials are lying around in the overhang, and puts the Lightsaber to them. They slice in half, but don't light up. Rey kicks them in frustration.

"Sshhh!"

Furious, she looks at Kylo, about to ridicule him for telling her to be quiet, but then she hears something.

It sounds like howling.

"What... what _is_ that?" She asks in a hushed whisper.

Kylo shrugs. "I dunno, but I don't think it's good. There are certain creatures at night that you want to avoid."

"Do you think they'll come down here?"

"No, if we can't get out, neither can they."

Rey nods, trying not to let on how scared she is to be facing the unknown. "They could have special paws or something."

"No one can climb vertically, Scavenger."

Rey folds her arms. From her line of sight, she can just barely make out the crashed TIE fighter. "We should get out all of our supplies."

When Kylo doesn't respond, Rey sighs and leans back against the wall.

 _Well, this is just great. I shouldn't have said anything to Luke: then I wouldn't be in this mess._

 _Oh, and what a mess I am in, too._

Again, Rey attempts to try for conversation.

"Did you get any bandages?"

"No."

"And you're totally sure there aren't any in your ship?"

"We don't carry around bandages in the First Order. If you get hurt, you'll die."

This puts Rey out of the mood for conversation, and without further ado, she tries hopelessly to fall asleep.

* * *

Kylo appointed himself as the night-watch guard the minute he saw Rey fall asleep.

He didn't know about her, but he knew that whatever was howling in the distance wasn't friendly, and therefore should be watched at all times.

Rey seems to think that everything goes to sleep and leaves you alone the minute you do.

Rather on the contrary, they wait for you to sleep so they can attack and kill you.

And until they established a stable and protected shelter, Kylo knew it was his job to make sure they didn't die overnight. He wouldn't have gotten much sleep anyway.

Not with Snoke haunting his dreams.

Force, Kylo was in so much trouble.

Snoke would've wanted him to either turn or kill the scavenger. So far, he'd done neither.

Snoke would've wanted Kylo to be punctual and return with a completed Lightsaber, as that was what he'd set out to do. He wasn't going to be able to do either of those things, either.

Suddenly, he senses movement. He can't be sure how much time has passed, but something is moving on the other side of the crater.

He looks down at Rey, who's breathing steadily.

 _Don't move, Scavenger..._

The intruder draws nearer, and Kylo can make out that it's a small creature about the size of a crate. But its fur... its fur is made of crystal.

 _Or ice. Or something._

It snarls at him.

 _As long as the scavenger doesn't move I'll be fine._

As if on cue, Rey lets out a scream. Kylo jumps and looks to see if she's awake. She's not. Kylo draws his Lightsaber to fight the creature off.

"Noo! Come _back!_ " She suddenly cries.

What in the-?

The creature lunges. Kylo ignites his Lightsaber. The creature squeals with shock and backs up.

" _Come back!_ "

 _How do I get her to shut up?_

The creature seems to have gotten over its surprise and is preparing for another attack.

 _Oh, I know—_

Kylo closes his eyes and imagines the Force flowing through the scavenger's body. He moves his hand toward it, and concentrates on freezing it.

All the tension in her body is released, and she is taken unconscious.

Kylo smiles. He hasn't performed a Force freeze that good since—

 _Oh, no._ Too _good_.

The creature has been knocked unconscious, too.

Kylo's about to strike it down, when he realizes the Jedi don't believe in killing one when unconscious.

 _So what?_

 _You want to get on the scavenger's good side, don't you?_

He groans, sheathes his Lightsaber, and picks up the creature.

It's spiky.

 _I guess I'll just… put it somewhere safe until Rey wakes up. Then we can decide what to do with it. Its kind will find us if we can't put a stop to these unwanted visitors and teach them a lesson._

It's then that Kylo realizes that he just called Rey by her name.

* * *

 **A/N: Was that better? I'm still getting the formatting thing down, my apologies once again. Additionally, I'll try to italicize everything, but this fanfic has so much italics that it's hard to keep up. I'll keep doing shoutouts as people review, but right now I want to shout out to Nightingale, who was the first to see this fanfic and the one who told me to put it in here. Please remember to leave a review if you have time, and I'll see you soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Another failure with the page breaks. Sorry once again! I'm going to try something new this chapter, and I hope it's obvious enough when it's a new character's POV. Also, we get some Finn in this chapter! Yay! I didn't include him in the previous chapters because he wasn't awake yet, something I could've overlooked but decided not to. Additionally, I want to thank Anna Skywalker 15 again for reviewing this. Make sure to review if you can! It really helps me stay motivated and get ideas for future developments. Also, thank you to Night for editing this chapter for me! And as always, happy reading!**

 **(Sorry for the really long A/N.)**

* * *

"Hey... Rey?"

Rey's eyes open quickly, and she sits up so fast she hits her head on the ceiling.

"Ouch..."

She rubs her head on the affected spot, and eventually looks up at Kylo. He looks uncomfortable.

"Um... we've got kind of a problem..."

Rey scrambles to her feet.

…

"You call this a _problem_?" She gasps, marveling at the beauty of their prisoner. "It's so..."

"So I guess it's a no on killing it?"

Rey's head whips around to face him. "Are you _insane_?" She yells. "Wait, no, scratch that, I don't want to know."

She resumes stroking the amazing, though unconscious, creature.

"Well? What do you think we should name it?"

She's grinning. Kylo shrugs.

"I think we should name it Han Solo." Rey proposes.

"How about we name it anything _but_ Han Solo."

Rey smiles. Exactly the response she wanted. "Okay, then, I want to name it Finn."

"Finn? Do you have any idea of how big of a Nerfhearder he is?"

 _Knew it._

"Well, I know you don't like him, but—"

"We're not naming the creature Finn."

Rey rolls her eyes. "Whatever. We said we'd get our supplies out of the ship today, didn't we?"

"I know _you_ did."

"Well, I still think we should."

"I guess it'd be better before they inevitably explode."

"And when they do, we should probably get inside that crack so we don't get affected."

Kylo nods. Rey's surprised they've actually agreed on something.

The morning passes by relatively quickly, and they empty their ships of anything that may be of use to survive or help build the beacon. The creature remains unconscious.

Eventually, Rey pauses to wipe sweat from her brow. "We're almost done!" She gasps.

Kylo frowns. _No surprise there._

"So are the ships. We should get to shelter."

Rey sets down the crate she's been carrying. "But... not all of the things we need are out."

"The ship doesn't care about that. Our ships will spontaneously combust when they want to."

"Yeah, but—"

He throws his hands up in the air. "Look, if you want to blow up with the ship, be my guest. I don't care. But I'll be over there, where it's safe, if you need me."

And with that, he storms off.

Rey looks at his retreating figure, then the unconscious creature, then the supposedly-dangerous ships.

She hears a faint tapping noise.

 _Time to go._

She picks up the limp creature and charges for the crack. She can hear the ships collapsing behind her.

 _Come on, come on..._

She's too far away. She's not going to make it. Loud scraping noises ensue.

"Hurry!"

Rey glares at Kylo.

 _You're not helping._

She makes a wild dive, and rolls past Kylo into the crack. "Well? Close the crack!" She shouts at him over the noise.

Too late.

Rey and Kylo press their backs against the sides of the crack as a wave of fire and smoke flood through the opening. Rey tries not to cry out at the intense heat singing her face.

And then it's over.

Rey's coughing.

Next, she checks to make sure the creature is all right.

Her overworked ears don't notice the faint rumbling sound or Kylo's "Look out!".

When she does notice, it's too late.

The force of the explosion had caused a collapse of the crack.

She's frozen to the spot.

Her eyes sting from the salt in the air.

Her knees buckle. She can hear things crashing around her, mountains of salt collapsing. She knows it's only a matter of time.

But that time never comes.

The crashing gradually subsides, and she dares to look around. Her eyes burn and water.

She is the only object that is not completely covered in salt.

Except for Kylo, and...

The creature.

Rey brushes some salt off of her shoulders, not daring to ask what caused the strange miracle recovery.

They have more pressing issues.

For example, the entrance to the large crater where their ships were, or used to be, was completely sealed.

Rey cringes. She has no idea of how to get back. Plus, she's cut up all over; it's literally salt in the wound.

"Come on."

She looks up at Kylo. There's no way he's not hurt too. And yet he's ready to go again, taking control. She manages to nod, and picks up the creature in her arms.

Rey takes a glance up to the sky, but there's still no way to exit the cavernous crack.

Their feet sink in the powdered salt, making it hard to reach the lagoon. Neither of them says a word during the entire trip. Rey's still in shock.

They encounter a problem when they reach the entrance; Rey assumes she won't be able to get through with her various scrapes, and she knows Kylo won't.

Kylo makes to ignite his Lightsaber, but she catches him.

"Don't," she hears herself saying, "remember what happened last time?"

 _You know, the last time the salt was disturbed and ended up crashing up around us_.

Instead, she takes a solid-looking rock and begins hacking at the ground. Her aching muscles cry out in protest, but years on Jakku have taught her that she can't give in to such pleas.

When she thinks she's made a big enough hole, she stands back. Kylo, who's been sitting down, looks up. Rey can't make out any emotion on his face, and tries not to feel disappointed for her efforts.

Instead, she silently ducks under the enlarged entrance and enters the lagoon.

She takes in a huge breath. The air here doesn't sting her nose like the air in the crack does.

She takes off her shoes and dips her feet in the water, marveling at how much better she feels instantaneously. She looks over to see Kylo reluctantly doing the same thing.

 _That was close_.

She's lucky to be alive, she knows.

She's survived against all odds. Not just now, but ever since a young man named Finn crashed onto the desert planet of Jakku.

Even before that, she's resisted arrest and abduction by thrives, pillagers, and smugglers. She's a survivor.

She smiles, and wiggles her toes deep into the salt sand. The edges of her mouth ache with the effort, but she does it anyway.

Now she meditates.

She sits down right there in the water, folds her legs in on themselves, closes her eyes, and listens to the Force.

She can feel it flowing through her, through the planet (which she knows is very Force sensitive), and though she wishes not to admit it, through Kylo.

Then, she feels herself rising.

She almost loses concentration out of pure shock. _No! Keep going! Nothing is wrong!_ Her eyes squint. She doesn't remember any conventional Jedi accidentally lifting themselves in the air.

 _Well, maybe I'm not a conventional Jedi._

She smiles to herself. She doesn't know why, but this comforts her. It comforts her to know that she may not turn out to be exactly like Luke, or Obi-Wan, or Yoda.

 _Boo._

Rey shrieks.

But it's soon silenced with her mouth coming in contact with harsh, cold water. She forces her legs to move and push her to the surface, and to fulfill her sudden but desperate need for air.

She gasps out, gulping as many mouthfuls of air that her lungs can handle. Once she's sure she's not in danger of running out, she emerges, and glares daggers at Kylo Ren.

He's smiling, a rarity Rey's sure she'll never see again.

 _Unless it's at my expense._

"Very funny." She manages to choke out.

She shakes the water off her arms and legs, and realizes with a start that her scrapes... feel better than when she fell. Her eyes widen, and she checks her skinned knees.

They're _healing_.

"What...?"

"Sometimes all scratches need to heal is water. Of course, you lived on a planet where there wasn't any water, but it's helpful now."

"Couldn't you have told me that in any other way?"

"I figured you wouldn't listen to me."

 _Very true_... Rey can't help but agree.

"Okay, fine, you win. What're we going to do now?" Rey asks.

Kylo shrugs. "Recover, I guess. It's afternoon. We'll need all day tomorrow to remove the debris and regain our crater. After we finally get a stable shelter, we might be able to start thinking about rescue."

That was a much bigger explanation than Rey bargained for. But it comforts her that at least someone has a plan.

Rey unwraps her armbands and wrings then out, still mulling over the plan. "Okay." She finally agrees.

"Okay? That's it?"

Rey nods, wraps her armbands, and contents herself with caring for the creature.

"We never decided on a name." Kylo notes.

"I didn't think you cared so much."

"As long as it's none of your Resistance friends, I don't."

"So you're fine with the name 'Windu'?"

"Who?"

"He tried to stop the Emperor, when he was rising to power. He failed deeply and fell off a skyscraper. Isn't that how you and the creature met?"

"More or less."

Rey continues to talk throughout the afternoon, about her life on Jakku to the adventure with the Rathtars, to the full story of Windu and Palpatine (which she'd heard from Unkar Plutt for as long as she could remember). Kylo listens, or at least looks like he does.

For Rey, talking is a way of relieving her stress, even though she's well aware that Kylo could simply read her mind and find out whatever he pleases. But since she has his attention, she brings up his killing of Han Solo, and how she'd beaten him at a Lightsaber battle. She considers herself a good storyteller, and tries to make it as dramatic as possible, at some points even forgetting that her opponent in that very battle is sitting not ten feet away, listening, not saying a word.

 _Not even_ complaining.

Rey appreciates his gesture, if there is one, of politeness. When Rey finishes this particular story (ending up with her giving the Lightsaber to Luke on the "mystery planet"; Rey still won't give its location), it's almost dark.

She finishes with a simple "The end," and with that, turns to care for Windu. She looks up to hear a repetitive and new noise; she realizes it's clapping. She tries for a smile, stands, and uneasily takes a bow.

 _For someone who's only talked to herself for fifteen years, I do pretty good._

Rey sits back down against the edge of the crater, and strokes Windu's harsh fur. It's a very strange feeling. Rey imagines it's what stroking a bed of nails feels like. She's determined that the crystals on Windu are— surprise — salt.

"Can _I_ tell a story?"

The voice surprises her, and she looks up to see Kylo sitting across the crater from her, looking up at the stars.

"I suppose," Rey replies, trying to sound conversational. Inwardly, though, she's worried.

She puts down Windu as he begins.

"Once upon a time, two very well loved people gave birth to a baby, who they, too, loved very much. A war had ended not ten years previously, with a great Sith Lord destroyed in its wake. It was up to the two parents to restore order and peace throughout the galaxy."

He looks to make sure Rey's listening. She is.

"As you can probably imagine, it was a very hard job, especially with the particularly... _sketchy_ parts of the galaxy. So the two parents left often, and often brought their son with them. They visited so many amazing places it was hard to keep track, each time leaving with smiles on their faces and a planet full of happy, loving people waving them goodbye as they departed."

Rey smiles.

 _That sounds nice._

"Then a friend of theirs caught wind of a new organization that was planning to overthrow the new government system. When the parents heard this, their peaceful missions ended immediately and they shut themselves in planning rooms for hours, even _days_ , at a time. For awhile, they totally and completely forgot about their son."

Kylo's looking down now. Rey's brow furrows.

"When they finally remembered him, it was for a brief time. By this time, the boy was... four? Five, maybe. And he was beginning to show signs of being Force sensitive. At this point, the stress of the new organization's rise had cracked the parents, and they argued and threw things at each other. Sometimes the objects hit the son, who learned to deflect them using a variation of the Force. Finally, the mother came up with an idea to send the son to train with a Jedi master. Though the parents didn't say it aloud, the son knew it was just so they could focus fully on their efforts."

Kylo's voice hardens. Rey tries not to let on how horrified she is.

"At the Jedi master's academy, the son tried his best to please his new master, but he missed his parents. They never visited, even though they promised they would. The son grew powerful, but he also grew sad and cold. When he was about nine or ten, a voice in his head spoke to him. It was beckoning him, urging him to give in to his feelings and join the Dark Side. This scared the son so much he didn't sleep for a week."

Rey's eyes widen. Kylo still looks uncomfortable.

"But when he does, the voice came back. Again, the boy screamed for the master and was too scared to sleep for a long time. But the third time, the son listened to the voice and began his path to the Dark Side."

 _This is about... him. But how could Han and Leia...?_

"Eventually, when he turned fifteen, he'd fully completed his path to the Dark Side, still even over the watchful eye of the Jedi Master. When the voice in his head told him to do something, he obliged. And that included slaughtering the students of the Jedi Master's academy."

Kylo pauses, apparently deep in thought.

"When the deed was done, the voice in his head materialized to form a humanlike figure, that came to meet him and get him. The son joined the Dark Side, and didn't see either of his parents for ten years."

 _I know what's coming next._

"Until one day, the son was looking for an escaped prisoner, when he sensed not only the Force sensitive escapee but also his father. He remembered what his new master had told him about this particular scenario, and did as he asked. He... he murdered his own father because of his master."

 _Does... can he possibly_ regret _it?_

"It was the worst mistake he ever made. His father's sidekick adequately punished him, but more than that, he extinguished a light that had brought him to life in the first place. Since then, he's been asked to murder two people. He has killed neither, and refuses to anyway. However, he continues with the practices of the Dark Side because he knows the Light Side isn't much, if at all, better. The Light Side is what turned his parents against him. The Light Side is what caused his master to hate him so much. The Light Side is just as flawed as the Dark."

There's a long pause. Rey swallows.

"The end."

* * *

 _I can't believe I just did that. Supreme Leader Snoke is going to kill me._

Kylo looks across the crater at Rey, still sopping wet, and thinks he can see tears in her eyes.

 _Nah. I was just talking._

 _I hope she doesn't think that was a big ploy to turn her over to the Dark Side or something._

He shrugs. "Anyway. Let me know if... er… Windu wakes up. I'll be over here." He says, motioning over to a large boulder that, in his opinion, doesn't look like it's made of salt.

"Y-you're right."

 _Oh, Force._

"About what?"

Her eyes are as wide as... no, not Death Stars... _Starkiller Bases_.

"The Light is just as flawed as the Dark."

"Don't get any ideas about joining the Dark Side or anything, Scavenger."

"I have a name. I've heard you use it."

"Whatever."

"And I'm _not_ joining the Dark Side. Nuh-uh." She verifies, shaking her head so violently her buns come loose.

"Okay, okay. Good night."

He can feel Rey's gaze on his every move as he tries to climb the boulder. He doesn't see what's so interesting.

 _Probably just the Nerfherder waste about the Light and the Dark Side._

 _"_ Don't read too much into it. I was just talking." He says, just to make sure.

"Yeah, okay. It's just... the Light Side is obsessed with keeping in and suppressing their feelings, right?"

"Uh, yes."

"But the Dark Side is all about expressing those feelings, but also... getting power from pain. Is that correct?"

"More or less."

"You can't win!" Rey exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Yeah, well, that's life, so I guess you'll just have to... pick a side."

"That's not fair."

Kylo smiles.

"Life isn't fair, Scavenger."

"Ha ha."

Kylo's made it to the top of the boulder, and is propping his head up on his arms, looking up to the stars. He remembers star systems he did when he was younger, and tries to think if he did this particular system or not.

"Hey, Ach-To's in this system, isn't it?"

"What? Um... I don't know! Maybe!" Rey's voice is strangely high pitched.

 _That's odd. I was just asking about— Wait a second._

She knows he knows.

"Please don't... Snoke would..."

"There's absolutely no way for me to get any information to Snoke anyway. Calm down." Kylo mutters, knowing that even if he did have access to Snoke, he would never contact his master.

 _It's been a nice break away from the super-controlling maniac_.

He hears shuffling, and realizes that Rey must be laying down too. If he squints, he can just make out Windu from the light bouncing off his crystallized fur.

And even though he's laying down on a boulder in the open air with his sworn enemy just across the lagoon, Kylo can't think of a time recently when he's been more at ease.

* * *

Finn feels _terrible_.

Today has been the first day he's been fully conscious, and the first news he received is that Rey is missing in action, and still hasn't been found.

Not exactly what he wanted to hear, especially with what happened last time with Kylo Ren.

Although, from what he's heard, Rey dominated over Kylo Ren so amazingly he wouldn't be sensible enough to show his face around for the next few decades.

Probably an exaggeration, but Finn likes hearing the stories anyway.

To make matters worse, the Resistance shot down a TIE-Fighter two days ago that was apparently heading directly for their base.

Not long before that, a very damaged X-Wing was rumored to have been sighted going along the same path.

Finn is hoping against hope that neither of the ships contained the likes of Rey, especially because the Resistance gave up looking for survivors days ago.

They suspect that both ships crashed in a crater less than two hundred miles from the base, but there's so little a chance that survivors exist that the already shorthanded staff has found better ways to occupy their time.

Finn has found this extremely irksome.

The only one who will listen to him is Poe.

Ah, what would Finn do without Poe?

Poe Dameron was the only one who agreed to go with him tomorrow on a prohibited excursion to find the wrecks. Poe was the one who helped him get through his injury. Poe was the one who helped him talk to Luke about Rey when he arrived (and quickly departed for unknown reasons) yesterday.

Finn and Poe were going to find Rey. He just knows it.

And if they find Kylo Ren along the way?

So be it.

Finn is better now.

And ready to fight.

* * *

Kylo is woken up by a very scary looking snout in his face.

" _Ow!_ What the-?!"

It takes him a moment to shake off the culprit.

 _Oh. It's just Windu._

 _Wait! Windu's conscious! This is big news!_

"Um, R—"

He stops himself when he looks down at her. She's still fast asleep.

He wishes she wasn't. Windu obviously hadn't warmed up to him.

 _How on Alderaan has she not been woken up by it yet? Look at all the noise it's making!_

As if on cue, Windu scrapes its sharp claws on the boulder as if preparing for battle.

 _It's not like there was much noise on Jakku or anything. She didn't have any neighbors for hundreds of miles._

 _And yet..._

 _I guess Jedi are good sleepers... maybe._

Windu charges off the boulder into the lagoon, making an enormous splash and drenching Kylo.

 _But remember what happened a few nights ago? She was dreaming about... something._

 _I suppose that's normal. I have bad dreams, too._

Windu's back on the boulder, readying himself for another jump, but Kylo holds him back. The creature struggles under Kylo's wrath.

 _Windu._

 _Of course_ he's heard the name before. He's memorized the legend: how poor Anakin got seduced by the Dark Side because of true _love_ or whatever, but how Windu stood in the way.

 _Poor Windu._

Windu was hurled out the window, purple Lightsaber and all.

Anakin became Darth Vader, and terror reigned across the galaxy.

He's heard the story so many times before.

How his precious uncle had come to save the day. How he'd just _barely_ missed the chance at saving his father's life, all because Palpatine tortured him.

Please. _On a regular day, I get tortured twice or three times. More, lately, because Rey beat me at a Lightsaber duel._

Well; not _lately_.

 _Lately_ has been completely torture-free.

Well, maybe except for yesterday.

When the very world was collapsing around them— that _felt_ like torture.

Yesterday had also marked the first time he had ever successfully produced a Force shield against the collapsing cliffs. He'd protected himself, Windu, and Rey in a split second of complete panic, and all it took was him to raise his arms.

Maybe _that's_ what made Luke hate him so much.

His power.

He knew he had more of it than Luke.

Luke knew it too.

He was able to read minds and freeze things in midair before he could really climb stairs.

And new powers always seemed to come to him in the toughest of times. _Like this one._

He was grateful for it, though. It allowed him to protect himself, the stupid creature (which was now vainly attempting to escape the crater), and Rey.

He didn't know why he'd saved her. Perhaps it was because she hadn't killed him when she'd found him wounded beside his ship.

Perhaps he was repaying the favor.

But he knows that she discovered something last night.

He doesn't know what it is, or what significance it has, but he knows that she now knows something he doesn't.

And that makes him anxious.

 _She seemed to want to share it last night. She'll probably want to today. And maybe it's a good thing. As long as she doesn't suddenly want to turn to the Dark Side..._

He can't give himself a good reason why he doesn't want her to turn. Maybe it's just because he doesn't want her to go through the vigorous training and mind torture that he's been through. Maybe he doesn't want her as an ally in general.

 _Or maybe it's because with her on my side, we'd be_ unstoppable.

And try as he might, Kylo can't seem to make himself see that as an advantage.

"Lost in thought?"

Kylo looks up. Rey's standing now, albeit a little drowsily, and she has Windu in her arms. Kylo looks around himself. He can't remember ever witnessing Windu ceasing his attempts.

"Sort of. Um... are you ready to head back?"

Rey shakes her head.

"What, then?"

She jumps up, and begins clambering over the various rocks and brushes of the lagoon. Eventually, Kylo thinks, she finds what she's looking for and picks it up.

 _Oh, no._

It's a leaf.

A hard, stiff, tiny leaf.

"I'm not eating that."

Rey looks at him curiously. "I won't make you. But I think if you don't you'd starve."

 _That's true._ Kylo's stomach has been growling for days and he's ignored it.

"Get down here and I'll show you what's edible."

Kylo frowns. Picking leaves to eat isn't his idea of fun, nor sophistication. But when Windu scrambles up his rock to do another dive, he decides it's time to go.

It takes him longer than it took Rey to get to the spot she's at. She has a small pile ready to eat, and is moving on to the next bush. Kylo notices she leaves about three quarters of the plant still on the bush.

 _I see. That way it can stay alive if we ever need more._

After watching Rey's technique, he decides he's ready to try it on his own. To his surprise, the leaves take a good amount of effort to be pulled off their branches.

Eventually, after much struggle, Kylo obtains a decent amount of the tough, tiny leaves. Rey's covered much more ground than he has.

Now she's on the ground, untying her arm bands again. Kylo wonders why.

He finishes on the plant he's on, gathers his collection of leaves in his hands, and slowly makes his way over to Rey, being careful not to spill.

Her arm bands are laid out on the sand, and she's piling the leaves onto them.

"What are you doing?"

She doesn't look up when she responds.

"It's better if we soak them. They'll become less tough that way."

Without thinking, Kylo says, "How do you know so much about this plant?"

She ties the corners of her arm bands together, forming a knot and trapping the leaves inside. "They're called No Man's Plants. They're supposed to be inedible, but they're actually a good source of nutrition. I used to eat them all the time before I got good at scavenging."

 _Impressive_.

 _How could you trust your enemy with eating an inedible food? Don't eat it!_

Kylo's stomach says otherwise.

"How long do they have to soak?"

"I dunno. An hour would be best, but half an hour would probably be fine."

Kylo frowns, but Rey seems to be one step ahead of him.

"I think you can survive another half hour." There's humor in her voice.

"Of course I can."

She raises her eyebrows as she turns away. "Whatever you say."

She appears to look around for Windu, locates him in the center of the pool, and laughs. Windu does a somersault and resurfaces, obviously pleased at the attention.

"Did they come last night?"

"No." Kylo's just realized it himself. There was no need to guard last night; no animals had come.

"I wonder why."

"Maybe your pet here was just the stupid one." Kylo offers.

Rey laughs and shakes her head. "If anything, he's the _smart_ one."

She steps into the water, letting it go up to her knees before stopping and making sure the bundle is okay.

"Hey, pass me some salt." She abruptly requests.

"What?"

"I think it'll add flavor! Am I not genius?"

 _Flavor? Who cares about flavor? First Order food is bland, and that's the way most people like it._

Rey grows impatient. "Come on."

"Fine." Kylo grabs a chunk of salt and throws it at Rey. She catches it one-handed. "Just don't add too much."

"Wasn't planning on it."

She pulls out her Lightsaber and slices away a small sliver of salt, then sprinkles it over the bundle like an expert chef. It takes all Kylo's willpower not to laugh.

 _Some Knight of Ren._

Kylo resumes his usual seat against the crater, sits down, and mindlessly fiddles with his Lightsaber.

"Is that why you came here?"

"What?"

"To fix your Lightsaber."

Kylo scoffs. "It was never broken."

"To complete it, then."

Kylo pauses. "Yeah, pretty much."

"It's always been pretty unstable."

"I don't need someone criticizing my Lightsaber, thanks. Someone murdered thirty kids with yours."

"What? You mean Anakin?"

"Darth Vader, yeah."

"Pretty sure he was still Anakin when he did that."

Kylo shrugs. "Right, sure. Anakin."

Rey pulls out her own Lightsaber and sighs. "Why do they always have to have such a wretched past?"

"What do you mean?"

"Used Lightsabers. This is the Lightsaber that killed thirty kids, Tuskan Raiders, _and_ the Lightsaber that fell into the abyss seconds before Vader told Luke that he was his father."

Kylo struggles to answer.

"Well, to start, Lightsabers usually aren't used."

"What are you implying?"

 _Oops_.

"Nothing, just stating a fact."

He can almost hear her mental gears working. He knows she's probably trying to find the supposed hidden message in his words.

Apparently her efforts are fruitless, for eventually she seems to give up and resume tending to the bundle.

It's then that Kylo realizes that he really did hear her mental gears clicking. Or something like it. Because now they've stopped.

Kylo finds his ability to sense this extremely unnerving.

* * *

 **A/N: There you have it! This chapter was really long, so do excuse me if I don't post another chapter tomorrow. I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please make sure to leave a review if you want to, and if you really like it, please follow and favorite. Also, sorry I sacrificed Rey's POV for Finn's in this chapter— you'll get more of Rey soon enough, though. Additionally, in case you haven't noticed, I figured out the page breaks. Hope this makes it more enjoyable for you guys! Sorry once again for the issues with chapters 1-2 in terms of those. See you soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So, I've decided to post another smaller chapter (only two POVs this time) and not post tomorrow, because I really need to fix the issue with chapters one and two regarding the page breaks. If you're new to reading, I apologize once again! Also, we have more than a hundred and fifty views! That's a lot, guys! Thank you so much for giving my fanfiction a chance. As always, remember to drop a review if you have the chance, and follow/favorite if you really like it. Happy reading!**

* * *

Rey can't wait for the leaves to be ready.

She's about had it with Kylo Ren, thinking he was all high and mighty and dissing her Lightsaber.

Sure, it belonged to his grandfather, but it was _hers_ now. Luke gave it back to her, right?

She hopes it was more permanent than simply a weapon for her to use for her mission. That Lightsaber has been with her on most of her whole journey to discovering the Force, weather she's willing to admit it or not.

She puts the Lightsaber away. She's almost afraid of using it now that she knows its significance. She knows Kylo's watching her every move. It makes her uncomfortable.

 _It's as if he's planning an attack._

She knows that's not going to impossible, or at least very stupid of him to do so, but it's almost too easy to forget that it's her mortal enemy across the lagoon, and not just her team member in survival.

 _And it really stinks that he has to be my team member in survival in the first place._

She remembers when her eyes flew open after she crashed: the fire, the scrambling to get out of the ship, the pain.

There was lots of pain.

She was so focused on herself and her own ship that she didn't notice the other one only yards away.

But when she did, she recalls screaming some very rude things quite loudly.

Then she saw that Kylo Ren was very much alive (although very much unconscious), and she considered killing him right then and there.

Then she thought of what she stood for.

She stood for justice in the galaxy.

There was no justice in killing someone while they were unconscious and unarmed.

So she made the decision to kill him while he was awake and armed.

Then she worried if it was okay to kill someone immediately after they'd returned to consciousness and were inevitably confused and dazed. She decided that the answer to that was "probably not".

So she concluded that she'd have to kill him a few days after they'd crashed, when he was fully armed, ready to fight, and aware of the situation.

Later that evening, with a fully conscious Kylo Ren less than five feet away from her, she realized she had to revise her plan once again.

Kylo was going to put up a huge fight against getting killed.

And so, Rey ultimately came to the conclusion that she was forced to do exactly what she told him what she was going to do.

It made her roast inside that she didn't have a plan any better than the one she'd already told him.

"You awake?"

Kylo's words take Rey on the trip back to the present, something she very much needed.

"What? Oh... yes. I'm fine."

"I think it's probably been long enough."

 _Really? Was I lost in thought that long?_

"P-probably. I haven't been keeping track of time, really."

"I noticed."

Rey doesn't respond. Instead, she picks up the bundle made of her arm bands that have the precious leaves stored inside. She hopes her completely made up soaking process worked, even though she's confident they can both chew through them totally raw with some effort.

 _I don't know how much energy he has left._

Kylo has noticeably weakened over the past two days, although Rey knows he chooses not to show it. While Rey is used to going long periods of time without food, she knows Kylo couldn't possibly be. She constantly has to remind herself that they both have differing strengths and weaknesses in these conditions.

Rey's head snaps back to the bundle. Her hands fumble as she unties it. _Please work..._

When she opens the bundle she groans.

"What's wrong?"

The leaves have turned to absolute mush.

"Too much water." Rey tries to make her voice sound steady, but in reality she feels incredible disappointment at her failure. She takes a deep breath. _Easy. We can try another time._

" _I_ don't think there's anything wrong."

 _What?_

"I don't understand." Rey chokes out.

"We can still eat it. There's nothing _wrong_ with it, really."

"And how are we supposed to eat complete _mush_?" Her voice is raising. If she wasn't holding the bundle, she would've stormed off.

"Haven't you _ever_ had _soup_ before?" Kylo asks, surprised. It takes him about three seconds before—

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

Rey takes care in setting the bundle down, since it's apparently still edible. She lays it out on the ground, and wedges it in an old footprint so the mush doesn't spill out.

Kylo gets up and returns shortly with two curved rocks, the rare kind that don't look like they're made of salt. Rey's still confused.

 _I swear to Force, it's much easier to just pick up food and eat it._

Making sure she's watching, Kylo dips the stone in the mush, makes a stroking motion, and it withdraws with a good amount on the end.

 _Oh. So_ that's _how it works. I think I saw people eating that way on Takodonna._

Rey picks up hers and uneasily copies the motion. Her hand wavers. Eventually, after much trial and error, she gets a small amount to her mouth.

 _It's..._ good.

 _How can it be good?_

The texture is terrible, but she swallows anyway. She still can't believe she's made something half decent from complete scratch.

 _And it's_ soup.

 _Can every mistake be turned into a new term here outside of Jakku?_

 _What I used to call mush is now "soup"._

Rey thinks she likes soup.

…

They've both finished (although it took Rey longer to finish her portion), and are supposed to be talking about what to do next. In reality, Rey's talking excitedly about the new frontier of desert plant soup.

She secretly knows Kylo couldn't care less about desert plant soup, but he looks pretty pleased with himself with teaching Rey how to use a spoon.

"I honestly think we could make it better next time, even. We can pick the desert plants from the main crater, bring them here, and just relax at the lagoon while our food is cooking! It's _perfect_!"

"Yeah, if we could just get ourselves back to the main crater. There are rocks in the way, you know."

Rey's heart sinks. "I thought you knew how to do that."

"Of course I do. I'm just saying that it'll take awhile, and we can't stay here forever. We're going to need those extra plants."

Rey frowns. "But Yoda said—"

"I don't care what Yoda said. It's still hard."

" _Humph_."

"Humph back."

Rey scoffs.

"I'll try my best. But don't be disappointed when I fail."

"You won't. Luke might've. But _I_ don't think an all-powerful Knight Of Ren would fail to move a couple of boulders."

But when she sees the brutal look she receives from the Knight Of Ren in question, she wonders if her optimism will be the death of her someday.

* * *

Rey falls asleep soon after she promised that Kylo could move the boulders.

Windu curled up with her, and she passed out in the sitting position against the steep wall of the crater. It all happened so fast Kylo really didn't know what to think.

Her Force beacon, so much brighter than Luke's, ceased to exist, or at least dimmed dramatically.

Kylo knows she hasn't seen sleep this peaceful in a long time.

He also knows that soon, her friends will come looking for her.

Finn's not the type to give up hope, even when Kylo's made it perfectly clear that there is no hope to be had.

He secretly admires people with such spirit.

He knows he doesn't see the same way as ones like Rey and Finn, and sometimes regrets that he can't.

Sometimes Rey looks so... _happy_.

It makes Kylo feel better about his own pathetic situation to hear her ramble about her life on Jakku, stories she'd heard from the fellow smugglers on Neema Outpost, even to her dramatic (and mostly inaccurate) retelling of their battle on Starkiller Base. The happy, bouncy, even _ignorant_ way she told them made Kylo forget that, in some cases, _he_ was the villain she was yapping about. Either him or his cause. It made him forget about Snoke, about cursed _Hux_ , _everything_.

But most of all, it made him want to kill himself, too, if he was in Rey's position on Starkiller.

 _Snoke would kill me if he found out that I'm sympathizing with Rey's cause._

 _Snoke's going to kill me, anyway._

 _Even if it's not my fault that I crashed._

Snoke tends to blame people for things they can't control.

Kylo stands up suddenly, surprised at how sturdy his legs now feel after a decent meal. He glances over at Rey again.

 _Snoke would want me to kill her right here and now_.

Why doesn't he?

Kylo chooses not to answer that question. His subconscious, however, has answered it for him.

 _I'm just curious to see what she has in store for the Light and the Dark Sides._

 _She'd better stay on the Light Side._

Once again, Kylo's not sure why he has this opinion.

He decides he needs to do something to stop himself from overthinking everything.

Overthinking everything was his favorite hobby back on Starkiller.

 _Why does Snoke hate me so much?_

 _Why does Hux?_

 _How am I still alive?_

 _Are my father and mother okay?_

 _What about the Subject Watches?_

Kylo freezes.

 _The_ Subject Watches...

They were the way the First Order kept tabs on any suspicious or otherwise unusual behavior across the galaxy. It was one of Kylo's more useless jobs to go over them.

One evening when they were orbiting a distant moon of some molten planet, Hux had handed over a particularly thick Subject Watch over to him, obviously providing him with busywork so Kylo didn't mess up Hux's ship.

Kylo had snatched the file from Hux and given him a steely, hateful glare.

Which, of course, he could not see due to his helmet.

Likely a good thing.

Kylo recalls tiredly opening the file and peering inside to a completely innocent-looking person who didn't look like they had any business in the Subject Watch file. The Subject Watch's normal crowd consisted of aliens of mixed species, with mechanical limbs and teeth, and usually holding spiked clubs. Spiked clubs were kind of their specialty, in Kylo's opinion.

Then Kylo reminded himself that it wasn't his job to separate the innocent from the guilty.

He looked past their mug shot and onto the reports.

Oh, how wrong he was about her being innocent.

She was a thief, stealing parts from Stormtrooper shuttles.

She was a scavenger, daring to pick apart ships that had once held the very glory of the Empire.

She was a rescuer, creeping into villages and exactuating them just hours before the First Order would attack.

As Kylo had sifted through the files, he'd found that she hadn't killed a single one of his troops; she'd humiliated, stolen, and pillaged from them instead.

He couldn't decide which was worse.

The girl's name wasn't included on the file, because she hadn't stayed around a civilized person long enough for them to ask.

Still, Kylo made sure to keep an extra eye out for her. He knew that someone who was that daring to do all of those things had to be at least somewhat Force sensitive.

He'd closed the file, and given it back to Hux, minus one paper that claimed that she was a Resistance spy.

He'd wanted to privately investigate this file. He didn't need Hux getting his ugly nose into it.

And Kylo remembers when the case had been rested, because Kylo had gotten word of the map to Luke Skywalker on Jakku, which Snoke deemed much more important than a potential Force user.

Kylo shudders. He was more right than he would ever know.

 _Right. I just overthought something again. Do something. Distract yourself._

Kylo thinks again to the problem at hand: not the long-term problem (Snoke brutally murdering him after he finds out what Kylo's been doing), but the short-term one (the wall of boulders and rocks in front of the main crater). _That's a reasonable goal, right? Remove the boulders before Rey wakes up._

Before he can contradict himself, Kylo picks up his Lightsaber —although he doesn't really know why— and starts out of the lagoon.

It's a long walk. About halfway through the crack Kylo wishes he'd waited for Rey to wake up so he can listen to her mindless chattering.

 _Too late now._

Kylo struggles through the sandy floors and the harsh winds bearing his face. His recently reopened scar burns with the salt being forced to it. He tries to remember what Snoke taught him—to embrace the pain — but right now, he can't imagine doing that. It's too much _. Embracing the pain_ sounds stupid and pointless without Snoke whispering in his ear.

Lost in thought, Kylo slams into the boulder wall that separates the crack and the main crater at full throttle.

He rubs his nose. It's bleeding.

 _Great_.

Wiping sand off the massive rocks, he analyzes how hard it's going to be to relocate them into a better area.

He figures he can probably get away with moving two of the small ones— that'll be large enough for him, Rey, plus some supply crates to move through all at once.

Kylo closes his eyes and concentrates on seeing the waves of the Force. It's a technique Snoke taught him, one of the first. After he does this, he'll be able to begin relocating the boulders.

He sees it flowing out into his extended hand. He sees it flowing through the planet (which is strangely Force sensitive). He sees it flowing through someone on Ach-To, who he assumes is Luke. _Probably in some ultra-deep meditative state or something._

 _Where's Rey's?_

Her usually bright Force beacon is nonexistent.

Kylo opens his eyes.

 _Something is very wrong._

A boulder cracks and crumbles behind him. Kylo yells in surprise.

 _What's wrong with Rey?_

The next thing Kylo knows, he's charging through the narrow passageways of the crack, stumbling a few times in his haste. It's taking him a long time to reach the lagoon.

 _Too long_.

When he finally reaches the small, dug-out entrance, he's out of breath and has a stitch in his side. To his relief, Rey's still there.

 _Then what...?_

His eyes widen as he realizes the problem.

She's barely breathing.

Windu is whimpering beside her, obviously sensing something wrong.

 _Think. Think. What could-?_

 _Oh, Force. What if it's Snoke?_

Without another thought, he drops to the floor and invades Rey's mind.

Sure enough, he feels Snoke's looming figure dominating over her few thoughts.

 _He can't know I'm here. What could he possibly be doing with her?_

 _Where are you?_

The voice that echoes through the darkness isn't one that Kylo has heard in a long time. It's one of malice, of pure hate.

 _Is he torturing her?_

 _Where are you?_

Kylo figures Snoke has already found that Rey's with Kylo. He wonders how long it's been going on. Then—

 _Oh, Force, I'm so stupid, it must've been him who made her go to sleep so fast!_

 _Where are you?_

Kylo's never defended someone else's mind before; and he's not entirely sure how. But he figures, since he's here...

 _Stop._

He feels the surprise as if it's his own. He knows it's just an effect of delving into the mind this far.

 _Kylo Ren. Nice of you to drop by._

Nothing about Snoke's voice says _nice_.

 _I'll tell you where we are._

It's a last resort.

 _Will you, now?_

Kylo swallows.

 _Yes. We're on Takodonna._

A moment passes. Kylo wonders, and eventually starts to think that Snoke won't detect his untruthfulness.

 _Lies._

And suddenly, a scream pierces the tense silence. Kylo jumps, looks around; there's no one there. Then he realizes it's Rey. She's being tortured.

 _Stop! No! We're..._

Dread fills Kylo like a fuel tank after a battle.

 _We're on Ach-To._

 _I'm sorry, Luke._ Kylo thinks privately.

There's silence again. Kylo shifts about.

 _Very well. We shall discuss your punishments on Ach-To then, Kylo Ren. Dispose of the girl._

And Kylo is ripped from Rey's mind.

* * *

 **A/N: Was that short? Sorry if it was. I'm trying to fix the problem at the moment, but wanted to continue posting daily to stay in the habit. At least I've figured the page breaks out in later chapters… right? *Smiles guiltily***

 **Anyway, I plan on posting a small chapter tomorrow or otherwise nothing at all. Sorry about that. In any case, though, I'll see you soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, I fixed the first few chapters of the story, so now a few extra parts are italicized when they should've been originally, and the page breaks are in place. I'm very surprised and extremely pleased that we have more than two hundred and twenty views on the fanfiction! Yay! Thank you so much to anyone who views this and reads the story, it means a lot. Only three POVs this chapter, but they're pretty intense, so I thought I'd leave it at that for today. And now, on to the story!**

* * *

 _Ow._

It's nighttime. However, Rey can barely sit up to see the time of day; her head is aching so badly she thinks she's going to pass out.

She knows there's absolutely no chance of her sitting up or generally moving anytime soon.

She notices light. She forces her eyes to open a bit more, and sees two Lightsabers stuck in the sand as makeshift torches.

She also notices that her other arm band is gone.

Her companion is gone, too.

 _What on Alderaan happened?_

She leans her head on the ground. She tries to make her body move so she's in a flat position.

She doesn't even remember falling asleep.

She hears footsteps, and weakly attempts to summon her Lightsaber.

She fails.

Kylo emerges from the small entrance with... Rey squints again. Are those boxes? No, she's dreaming. Rey passes out again.

...

When she wakes up, the Lightsabers are gone, replaced by real lights. They're pointed away from her. Rey's glad for that; whatever is wrong with her, bright light will certainly not help.

Windu is gone.

She notices something floating in the lagoon. She realizes it's a bundle of leaves soaking. She's confused. She falls unconscious again.

...

Rey wakes up for the last time at around midnight. She finds that she can move her arms, and utilizes them to rub her eyes. The bundle on the lagoon is gone. The lights are still on. And Kylo Ren is sitting directly ahead of her, awkwardly feeding Windu blocks of salt. The scene is so strange that Rey wants to laugh if she wasn't so hurt.

First to notice her return to consciousness is Windu, who lets out a strange bark and leaps up to her. She winces. Every sound feels like needles injected into her skull. She still doesn't know why.

" _Off_ , Windu, off."

Kylo's voice is hushed, presumably as not to hurt her. _How does he know?_

Windu obeys and sits obediently at her side. Rey attempts at a smile, but falls short. It's more of a grimace.

"Are you okay?"

 _No_.

Rey tries to straighten herself against the wall. Her head burns.

"What... _happened?_ "

She knows her words are limited, and she doesn't feel particularly concerned about giving Kylo information at the moment.

"Snoke invaded your mind. He was torturing you."

It sounds like he's been practicing it.

 _Okay. Great._

"Why?"

Kylo cringes. Rey doubts he could look any less guilty.

"To get my location... maybe."

"And _did_ he?" Rey chokes out.

Kylo shakes his head quickly. "No, I... I lied. I know that there's a Resistance Base here. There's too much at stake for the First Order to discover about Crait right now."

 _Kylo just lied to the First Order._

Rey's reaction must've been a big one, because Kylo tries to calm her down. "Whoa, don't get too excited. It's not a big deal." But he's still grinning.

Rey rolls her eyes, an effort which causes dots to swim in her vision, but she figures she's come this far. "And you, don't start thinking that you're a rebel now or something. It takes more than a white lie to betray the First Order."

"Well... I _did_ tell Snoke that we're on Ach-To."

Rey's jaw drops as much as it could in her slumped position. "You _what?!_ "

"Okay, I think that's enough information for tonight. If I tell you what else I did, you might get up and dance."

"I don't think I'm physically capable of that."

"Me neither. Get some sleep."

Rey awakens for what seems like the millionth time at dawn. The gray skies sting her eyes. Her head doesn't feel much better.

Windu is asleep. Kylo is not.

He's moving more boxes.

 _He must've-! He moved the rocks?_

"Don't look so surprised."

Rey forces herself to sit up fully this time. It takes all her willpower not to cry out in pain. Her head feels ready to explode.

 _I'm going to die._

She closes her eyes, trying to force the thought out of her head. She can do this.

Kylo's pulling out various supplies and machinery.

"Now, if I'm correct, your friends will try to come here and find you today."

"What?"

"You didn't really think FN—er, 'Finn' was going to give up on you, did you?"

A warm sensation comes over Rey, like the feeling she used to get on Jakku under her blanket on a cold night. She feels a bit better knowing that her friend could be coming today.

"I suppose not. Why today?"

"Well, they didn't come yesterday, and they won't want to wait until tomorrow, so they're probably coming today. The question is, what're we going to do?"

Rey frowns. "I don't think I can walk over to the main crater."

"Of course you can't."

"And they're not going to like you walking in front of their ships, telling them that I'm supposedly down a dark and narrow passageway."

"Exactly."

Rey groans. "Perfect. Just _perfect_."

"We could still build the beacon here. I have everything required. I just need time." Kylo offers.

Rey groans. "That's the one thing we don't have."

Kylo shrugs. "I guess we'll have to start right away, then."

Rey makes to stand up.

"No. I know how it feels to have been tortured. You need to rest."

Rey gives Kylo her best glare.

 _I can help. I know I can._

But she feels exhaustion creeping up on her again, and tears herself away from the wall into a somewhat comfortable position on the sand. She hopes she'll be well enough to see Finn and Poe when they arrive.

* * *

Today is the day!

Finn and Poe have been over every single thing that could possibly occur during their mission.

Finn has verified over and over again that Poe is okay with going against Resistance orders to go and rescue Rey.

Especially since they've never met.

But Poe's opinion has withstood Finn's repetitive inquisitions, and now, at high noon, they make to steal a ship that will allow them to find their lost friend.

"Of course, we'll be punished for this later on." Poe explains. "But it's better than being responsible for a person's death."

"What about if Kylo Ren is there?"

Poe grins and holds up a fist.

"Bring it on."

They scuttle like maintenance droids down the deserted halls, pausing at every corner. At one point they think they see General Organa in her private quarters, head in hands.

 _Bring it on._

They finally reach the massive hangar where the selected Reconnaissance ship has been stored. Poe quietly opens a control panel and types in a few keys to open the wide and grinding door.

" _Hey!_ What's going on here?"

It's a Resistance officer.

 _Time to run._

Finn charges up the gangplank as the alarm sounds. Poe's not far behind.

"Fire up the primary engines! Set the thrusters to 'mode 6'!"

Finn looks at the controls and attempts to do what Poe asks.

"What if we don't make it?" Finn's voice cracks at the possibility.

"Then we can say we've tried." Poe is confident, comfortable, and ready to go. Finn wishes he shared his optimism.

He moves over as Poe takes control as pilot, maneuvering the ship in and out of enemy fire. Finn swallows hard as he sees General Leia Organa emerge from her quarters and look at the battle.

Then she waves.

Finn boggles.

But Poe seems to take it all in stride. "Dead Man's Crater, here we come!" He yells, giving the crash site a name on the spot. Finn's surprised to find that he rather likes it, despite its implication that it's only inhabitants are dead men.

The Reconnaissance ship makes its way out of the hangar, and sets a trajectory for the now Dead Man's Crater.

Leia smiles at the curses and yells from her comrades as they watch it depart. She knows that her son is on the planet, although she's not exactly sure where.

She also knows that that was the reason why Luke left so quickly.

"Poe," she mutters, "bring them home."

As she leaves the hangar, she tries not to show how proud she is of her best pilot and his daring escape.

General Organa must stay strong.

* * *

Kylo is absolutely sure he hears a ship.

But it's about the fifth time he's heard something today.

After Rey fell back asleep, the first thing Kylo did was make sure it didn't have anything to do with Snoke.

It didn't, thank the Force.

Then he decided to work on the beacon.

He knew it was totally pointless, and that it would take him days, if not _weeks_ to complete it when he only had hours.

He works furiously, knowing he can't possibly be halfway done.

He doesn't have a manual or anything. He's working purely from memory.

 _A simple prism should concentrate the light beam, but how am I supposed to power it?_ He wonders hopelessly.

His mind aches dully, exhausted from super-protecting not only himself, but now Rey, too.

She just doesn't know yet.

No, there are definitely ships above.

And they're landing.

Before Kylo knows what he's doing, he exits the lagoon and starts for the main crater. He knows the beacon is a lost cause now. His only option is to try to knock some sense into Finn, or whoever it is.

He breaks into a run, a new sense of urgency dominating over any other priorities in his mind. He knows he's close when he hears voices.

"Yes, Finn, that's an outdated X-Wing. The engine must've failed. It looks to have suffered from corrosion."

 _That's news to me. I suppose she wasn't lying when she said her engine gave out._

"Yeah, but... Rey wouldn't let her engine fail!"

"It's not up to the pilot, Finn."

 _Force, what a complete_ idiot.

"What about the TIE-Fighter?"

"It's been heavily modified, but assuming it wasn't by the fault of the engine upgrade, I think that this was the ship we shot down a few days ago."

"And what's this?"

 _Uh-oh._

Kylo knows he's probably pointing to the cross Rey planted over the fallen copilot. She'd buried it while they were extracting materials from the ship on day one, against Kylo's warnings and criticism.

"Looks like a grave."

Finn gasps.

"No, no, he wouldn't bury her. Probably done by Rey, whoever it is."

"Then she's _alive_."

 _You're getting there._

"Well, I dunno, buddy, this crater's seen a very heavy explosion. Looks like the ships spontaneously combusted."

 _Smart guy._

"So you think...?"

"I dunno. It's possible."

 _All they have to do is see the crack, walk a bit, and we can be on our way. If Rey's telling the truth about her plan, I'll be on a ship home in half a standard day._

" _Ugh!_ "

There's a sound like someone flopping to the ground. Kylo scoffs.

 _Finn is so pathetic._

"Hey, look. It's a crack... must've carried water back in the day."

 _Three cheers for the sarcastic Resistance pilot!_

"Do you think she could have moved?"

"She could've."

Kylo considers igniting his Lightsaber and changing at them just to see the look on their faces. He wonders if he's as intimidating without the mask.

Footsteps thumping on the sand.

Kylo quickly moves to hide behind a boulder. He peeks out as he sees Finn and Poe emerge.

"Hmm. Footprints."

"Come on, then."

Finn and Poe look a bit shell shocked: Finn glances over his shoulder at every turn. Kylo realizes they must've stolen a ship in order to get here.

Silently, he follows them.

* * *

Finn and Poe walk slowly.

They stop at everything, every small spot of blood (Mostly Kylo's) and every footprint.

Kylo curses himself for putting himself in this situation. _I could've just brought Rey along and we could've stolen the ship by ourselves. I doubt her Resistance friends would've appreciated it, but…_

Eventually, they stop about halfway through.

"That's it. She couldn't have possibly gotten this far." Finn's voice is emotional.

 _What? Are you Forcing kidding me?_

 _That's it._ Kylo needs to do something. He can't just let their only shot at rescue pass them by.

He needs to concentrate. He closes his eyes, letting all worries and burdens slip away. He empties his mind. He needs a logical plan.

His best option isn't preferable, but he figures it's better than murdering them and stealing their ship.

He moves to step out behind the boulder he's hiding behind. He feels something… _different_ about his thoughts, and decides a mind cleansing was good for him.

But suddenly he is thrown from Crait onto a rainy, desolate world.

 _It's a vision_ , Kylo knows. He's had them before, but he can't think of a worse time to be caught up in one.

It's Luke's island. Even Kylo can tell that much.

An enormous landing vehicle is making its way to the rocky shores.

A man stands and watches.

 _Luke. This isn't good. This is my fault._

"Where did you hide them?"

The voice comes without any body, invading Kylo's (and apparently Luke's) mind like a snake. Kylo shudders.

Luke is utterly baffled.

" _What?_ I didn't— I don't—"

"Kylo Ren said he was on Ach-To. _Where did you hide them?_ "

"Kylo Ren was wrong." Luke says simply. "He's not on Ach-To, and to my understanding, neither is Rey."

"Then surely you know where they are?"

"No, and if I did, I wouldn't tell you. One planet down, four billion to go."

Then Kylo sees Snoke disembark from his transport, staff in hand, a face of evil and hate directed solely at Luke.

 _For the moment. Force, when he discovers where I am..._

"I will crush you like the bug you are!" Snoke cries, and raises his staff.

"No, you won't." Luke replies. Kylo has to commemorate him for his bravery.

" _What?_ "

"We're both missing our apprentices. I'm guessing yours abducted mine, as this scenario has occurred before. I am proposing we team up to find them together. Then we can train them separately, as it's meant to be, and see who wins at the end of the day." Luke smiles a little too ominously.

"You're saying we team up and then become enemies again, Skywalker?"

"Yes."

"That's the _worst_ —"

"Do you want your apprentice back or not?"

 _No, he doesn't._

"Of course I do." Snoke replies smoothly.

"Fine, then, Skywalker. We meet at dawn tomorrow on my ship. Together, under the strictest of truces, we shall look for Ren and the girl."

 _Bad. This is very bad._

"Then, we shall break apart, train our apprentices, and continue as if neither left." Luke finishes for him.

"Yes."

Uneasily, the two remove their gloves and shake hands. They're eyeing each other with such mistrust Kylo's surprised they haven't attacked each other yet. He knows he and Rey are the only reason they haven't began smashing each other with their various Force weapons.

Fear courses through him. He knows he should be relieved Snoke's coming, but he's not.

All hope of reaching the pilot and the Stormtrooper gone, he furiously tries to wake himself up. They need to hide.

* * *

 **A/N: Was that short? Not short? I dunno, but I hope you enjoyed! If you did, remember to review if you have any time, and follow/favorite if you loved it! I always love hearing what you have to say. A new chapter will be posted tomorrow if I have the time, but I'm unsure if I will or not. Whatever the case, thanks for reading, and I'll see you soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello again! Sorry I didn't post yesterday, I was super busy and TIRED. UGH. VERY tired. But I decided to post early today just because it's the weekend, and you've waited long enough. So, here it is! Only Rey's POV this time, but trust me, it's pretty eventful. More A/N at the end!**

* * *

Rey feels much better after her rest.

She doesn't recoil at the presence of light, she can see clearer, and she's eating some of the soaked leaves Kylo left for her.

She hopes he returns with Poe and Finn, or at least some good news.

Hours pass. Rey swears she hears the sound of a spaceship taking off, but she knows it can't be. Kylo wouldn't let their chance at rescue pass them by.

And so she waits.

She knows it'd be foolish to leave the lagoon. She's still not at full health, and she has a dull headache.

She wishes Kylo had told her the full story, and not just the brief "Snoke invaded your mind. He was torturing you" explanation she'd received. It's all too frustrating for her to fathom. She crawls over to the pool, washes her face, and makes sure to block her mind. She hasn't had the strength to do so since Snoke invaded, and she's confused as to why he didn't invade again when she was so weak.

She doesn't even know what information she gave him when he was torturing her.

She hopes she didn't reveal too much. It's scary to her that she didn't feel anything leaving her mind. All there was was intense, raw pain, stemming from her mind and exploding every nerve in her body.

She doesn't know how Kylo could possibly tolerate having someone like _that_ for a master.

 _Maybe that's why he's so angry all the time._

Rey stares miserably at her reflection in the still pool. She looks absolutely terrible. She's chalk white, and two of her three buns have come undone.

She crosses her legs and tries to redo her hair, but she's missing a hair tie. She decides to go Leia style, and smirks to herself.

 _That'll make Kylo look twice._

 _Kylo! Oh, Force, where_ is _he?!_

Rey stands so quickly her head spins. She's got to go find him.

 _But you just said—_

 _Shut it, Rey. It's now or never. It'll be dark soon._

Rey dashes out of the lagoon, doing her best not to trip on the various stones and sand in her way.

She barely makes the sharp turns.

He's nowhere to be found.

 _Could he have abandoned me?_

"Hello? Kylo?"

She finds herself calling now, hopelessness crashing over her like waves on Ach-To. The shadows are getting longer and deeper. Tears fill Rey's eyes. She _can't_ be alone in this terrible place.

And what about Finn and Poe? They wouldn't have left without her...

Would they?

She reaches the main crater. Nothing. Just new footsteps and the markings of a ship's landing and launch. Rey doesn't move for several minutes. She can't believe that they're gone— that they would _abandon_ her.

Then she hears the howling.

It's not unlike the howling they heard on their first night here.

 _I need to get back._

Rey charges back through the crack, cutting her arm on the sharp edges of the walls. She's nearly back when she stops.

She's seen something.

It's a dusty, tattered black cloth, leading behind a massive rock.

Rey gasps, something which makes her even more out of breath than she already is.

"Hello?"

Silence.

Tentatively, Rey follows the cloth until it meets with a person.

She almost cries in relief. It's Kylo.

She temporarily forgets that their rescue is nowhere to be seen.

She sinks to her knees, head hanging, and leans on the boulder that's been protecting Kylo from sight. It takes her a minute to finally take control of her incredible relief.

Strange as it may seem, Rey would give anything to not be left alone after her time on Jakku. Many a Resistance pilot have asked her if she prefers solitude over social occasions, because of her isolation for most of her life. Her answer is always the same: I don't ever want to be alone again. Not like I was on Jakku. Abandonment is the worst kind of solidarity.

She rips herself away from her thoughts— she still has a job to do.

 _Step one: Get Kylo conscious again._

Rey frowns. She's not exactly sure how to do that.

 _I suppose the first part to that is figuring out how he got unconscious in the first place._

And so, reluctantly, Rey delves into Kylo's mind.

 _I'm not in here to cause trouble. I'm here for one purpose. Nothing else. Okay. I can do this._

Abruptly, she hears his voice as if he's three feet next to her: _A simple prism should concentrate the light beam... but how am I supposed to power it?_ She grins. She's done it.

 _Okay, that's something. He's figuring out how to build the beacon. I saw something half-finished at the lagoon. He must've somehow gotten distracted._

Kylo speaks again. _That's news to me. I suppose she wasn't lying when she said her engine gave out._

 _He's talking to someone... or at least,_ about _someone. This means... Poe and Finn! They were here!_

 _Force, what a complete idiot,_ Kylo intones.

 _Yes! It's totally Finn!_ Rey throws a fist to the air.

 _Uh-oh._

 _Is this what...is this why they're gone? Because Kylo showed up? No, they'd take him to the Resistance Base for interrogation. It doesn't match up yet,_ Rey thinks.

 _You're getting there._ Kylo's voice is hopeful, daring to believe rescue could be near. _I don't understand. How can this result in him lying unconscious behind a rock?_ Rey asks herself. Kylo speaks up again. _Smart guy_. He sounds impressed.

 _Poe. That's got to be Poe. I don't think he'll willingly compliment Finn until Courscant freezes over. Besides, Poe'd know how our ships crashed. I hope that's what he's talking about._

There's a pause. Rey frowns. _That can't be_ it.

Suddenly, an irritated voice floods her thoughts. _All they have to do is see the crack, walk a bit, and we can be on our way. If Rey's telling the truth about her plan, I'll be on a ship home in half a standard day._

Rey swallows.

 _I guess I didn't look very truthful last night, eh, Kylo? But wait. He hasn't actually talked to them yet. He wants them to look over to the crack, probably so they can find... me— that's got to be it— so we can be rescued. Still no answer to why he's unconscious. And I_ am _telling the truth. If only he could hear._

 _Finn is_ so _pathetic_. He sounds annoyed.

Rey smiles. It's almost _comforting_ to go through completely uncensored thoughts, knowing for sure that they're totally honest, even if they _are_ insulting her best friend.

 _Three cheers for the sarcastic Resistance pilot!_

 _Yep. Poe._ Rey's positive now.

 _I could've just brought Rey along and we could've stolen the ship by ourselves. I doubt her Resistance friends would've appreciated it, but…_ Rey feels the desperation that comes with that comment as her own.

 _Well, you're right about that. They'd put me on trial faster than you can say "Nerfherder"._ She thinks.

 _What? Are you Forcing kidding me? That's it_. Kylo says furiously. Rey's eyes widen. _That's what I was looking for! What went wrong?_ She wonders hopelessly _. This mind-reading process is a one-way street._

But he's not done. _It's a vision!_ He shouts _._ And then it cuts off. Frustrated, Rey retreats from his mind, reeling. It's too dark to get back to the lagoon now.

 _What do I do now? What's step two?_

Abruptly, Rey is overcome with pure and sheer panic. She screams with shock, backing up onto the opposite wall.

It's coursing in waves through her. She tries to calm herself, but despite her furious efforts, it's not working.

 _What's happening? What's_ wrong _with me?_

Rey sinks to the floor, the terror quickly shifting to pain. She wonders vaguely if the culprit is Snoke. But then, this pain is different. It's not in her head; more, running through her veins. It's a pain that was planted in the pit of her stomach, and that spiraled out to her very fingertips. It has no end.

Rey ignites her Lightsaber and blindly attacks the boulder, trying to outlet her agony. She doesn't know where she got the idea, but it only worsens the pain in her arms, and does nothing to cease it.

Hot tears well up as she reduces the once mighty stone to mere rubble. Her heart races. She sheathes her Lightsaber and stumbles, unbalanced, crashing to the floor.

And then it stops.

Rey collapses.

When she raises her head again, she's staring into the face of Kylo Ren.

 _Great. Of all the times..._

Rey turns away, completely shunning him, and focuses on putting her Lightsaber back in her belt and wiping her tears away. She doesn't know why her anger is aimed at him, but it's better than being angry at herself. She can sense Kylo's confusion.

"What... what's wrong?"

She sniffs in response. She's not about to suddenly explain the crazy, supernatural event that she just went through. She hears faint howling in the distance.

"Where did the boulder go?"

 _If only you knew._

Sarcastically, she mutters, "It grew legs and walked away."

"Why did you destroy it?"

Rey shrugs, not daring to speak.

"What happened?"

Kylo's voice is softer now. _But that doesn't mean I'm going to tell him anything. The last thing I need is for him to think I'm a total nut case_. Instead, Rey folds her arms stubbornly.

"I won't think you're crazy, in case you were wondering."

 _I seriously doubt that._

 _But I have nothing to lose. It's over. We're not getting rescued._

Still turning away from Kylo, Rey mutters, "I destroyed the rock because I was trying to rid myself of the pain I was suddenly in. And I was in pain because I... I don't know. Before, I wasn't, and then I _was_. I'm sorry."

Rey's tears are threatening to spill over again.

"It came on suddenly?"

Rey hopes he can see her nod. She's in no shape to talk.

"Okay, we'll talk about this tomorrow, all right?"

Rey nods again, _trembling. I am not moving from this spot until morning,_ she decides.

"Yes, you are."

 _Am not._

"Not an option."

 _Don't address me as a child._

"But you're acting like one."

 _Not your concern._

"Fine, then."

Kylo jumps from the rocks he's sitting on and starts for the lagoon, likely several minutes away.

Rey shivers.

It's dark, but she doesn't want to risk igniting her Lightsaber again. She wonders if Kylo would think down on her if she followed anyway.

 _He most certainly looks down on me no matter the case._

Before she knows it, she's caught up to him, still striding along at a leisurely pace.

"Nice of you to join."

Rey scoffs, but doesn't say anything. Kylo feigns surprise.

"I guess it's my job to do the mindless talking, then?"

 _That would be interesting,_ Rey thinks despite herself.

And so he begins. Kylo starts with simple legends, like the origin of the Jedi and the Sith (most of which Rey's already heard), but eventually moves on to other things, like his personal life before and after he joined the First Order.

Rey's not surprised to hear that life in the Dark Side isn't perfect.

She acknowledges inwardly that the Light Side isn't perfect either.

But Kylo tells stories of murdering villagers for the pure sport of it, eliminating entire systems of planets, and even (to Rey's disguised amusement) kidnapping innocent scavengers just because of a rumor (although, he later admitted, the scavenger was far from innocent, and the rumor was true).

The final story he tells is of two incredibly brave people retrieving plans to the original Death Star so the Rebellion can figure out how to destroy it.

This one captivates Rey the most.

It hurts her that the little girl, the protagonist, was abandoned, just like her.

It surprises her that the Death Star once only hit cities, and that their cruelty increased slightly in the years they'd existed.

And it shocks her that Kylo is telling the story at all.

It is a story of rebellion, of defying the Empire. It doesn't make sense for a loyal First Order member to be engaging in a story that tells such a tale. And yet, he tells it as if it is an anthem to his own cause. He relays the message of hope, of sacrifice, as if those who died were his best friends. Rey finds herself become immersed in a world that existed without the trio of Leia, Han, and Master Luke, a world that didn't rely on their heroism, but someone else's. Eventually, they reach the lagoon, and Kylo abruptly stops talking. Rey tries not to feel disappointed.

Instead, she helps turn on the lights to illuminate the lagoon, and is happy to see Windu perched on a rock, waiting for her.

She opens one of the boxes from her X-Wing to find blankets, and grins. Upon showing them to Kylo, they divide them up and hastily make small beds for themselves, Kylo's still stubbornly atop a large boulder across the lagoon from Rey. She's ready to collapse from exhaustion, and Kylo doesn't look much better. Rey constantly has to remind herself that whatever she's going through, he's got to be going through more.

Sure, some of it is his fault.

But Rey's holding out on the hope that he might be turning Light again.

It's a small hope, Rey knows.

But it's still there.

"I didn't think you were going to be able to find me."

Rey smiles.

"Well, I _am_ a scavenger, after all."

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed, even if it was ridiculously short this round. I promise there will be a super long chapter tomorrow, along with several plot twists! Yay! Also, thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed.**

 **Off topic, but there's less than a month to The Last Jedi! I honestly don't know how I'm going to survive these last few weeks, but it's going to be AMAZING! Also, I promise to have this story finished by then, so I hope that pleases you guys. I know I'll lose a lot of views if I don't, and honestly don't think I could continue knowing the actual outcome. Please remember to follow, favorite, and review, and I'll see you soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello again! I know you probably don't care, but I'm happy to say that we have more than 400 views on this story! I was originally expecting around 100, so this is AMAZING! Thank you so much for reading! This chapter is about 4,000 words (I think) and was pretty difficult to write, but I hope you enjoy anyways. So without further ado, here's the super-long chapter, as promised! More A/N at the bottom! Happy reading!**

* * *

Kylo can't sleep.

His crazy (and probably true) dream has scared him to the point of watching the skies for incoming spaceships.

He knows it's only a matter of time.

He doesn't know, however, why he doesn't want his master to come to rescue them.

 _Because I'll pay heavily for all I've done?_

 _Because I'm not as sure about which side I'm on as before I came here?_

 _Because I don't_ want _to go back?_

Kylo hears shuffling.

He sits up instantly, wondering if Rey's awake.

"R—"

He stops. The shuffling is coming from a much smaller figure, and Kylo can hear Rey's breathing from her sleeping area behind him. That leaves...

 _Windu._

The stupid creature is shuffling through Kylo's stuff.

Kylo rolls his eyes.

"Oh, come on, get away from there—"

Then he pauses. Windu has his Lightsaber in his mouth.

"No! _Give that back!_ "

He lunges for the thieving creature, but it's too fast. Behind him, Kylo can hear Rey's breathing lighten. Kylo and Windu freeze. Kylo finds it ironic that even the unintelligent creature who dares to steal his Lightsaber is smart enough to not wake the Padawan.

It's several minutes before her breathing returns back to normal, and just seconds after it does, Windu charges away.

Kylo scrambles after him.

Windu gives Kylo a very innocent and wide-eyed look, as if saying, _who, me?_ , which succeeds in making Kylo seethe, and scrambles up the walls of the lagoon.

Soon Windu is gone.

 _What the-?_

Furious, Kylo listens for the movements of the creature returning, but he hears nothing. He hears a rock crumble behind him, likely as a result of his anger. He tries unsuccessfully to calm himself down.

Rey's still asleep.

 _What if he was working for Snoke the whole time?_

 _Do you_ really _believe that? It was just an animal stealing what it thought was food. Probably does that all the time._

 _That's the last mistake it'll ever make._

Kylo buries his head in his hands, furious at himself for letting his most valuable possession slip through his fingers.

 _What on Alderaan will I say to Snoke?_

 _"Oh, hello, Supreme Leader, I was just hanging out in a crater with my worst enemy, rethinking joining the Dark Side. Oh, yeah, and did I mention I've lost my Lightsaber?"_

 _Oh,_ Force _._

* * *

"Hey, Kylo?"

Kylo opens his eyes. He's slumped against the wall where he'd rested last night. He rubs his eyes.

 _Guess I_ could _sleep, after all._

"Yeah?"

"Where's Windu?"

The events of the previous night come crashing down on Kylo, and he feels a great weight being put back down on his shoulders.

"Oh. That."

"Don't tell me you did something to him... right?"

 _No,_ he _did something to_ me.

"No. No, I didn't."

Rey's eyes narrow, and she puts her hands on her hips. "Then what happened to him?"

"He stole my Lightsaber and left." Kylo says quickly, looking down at his Lightsaber-less belt.

"What? _No._ "

Kylo shrugs. "I'm going to get flayed alive by Snoke anyway. Maybe he'll kill me quicker."

Rey gasps. "Don't say that."

"But it's _true._ "

Rey sniffs. "Why were you unconscious behind a rock yesterday?"

Kylo stands, striding over to the place where Windu had disappeared with his Lightsaber.

"I had a vision." He says vaguely. _I don't want to talk about it._

"What about?"

Kylo traces his hand over the marks on the cliff side where Windu's sharp claws had penetrated. "Um... Luke and Snoke."

"At the same time?"

"Not important." _Oh, but it is._

" _Yes it is._ "

"Fine, _yes_ , they were together at the same time."

"W-who won?" She asks nervously.

 _Won?_

"What? Oh... um... no one. They..." Kylo takes a deep breath: she's not going to like this. "They teamed up to find us."

" _WHAT?!_ "

Kylo spins around to look at her.

Her face is white as salt.

"No, _no_..." She scans the sky as he did last night, as if worried that they would arrive at that very moment. Finally, she speaks again.

"Do you know what this means?"

 _That we're doomed?_

"What does it mean?"

"It means that Snoke has a very good shot at capturing the _both_ of us, instead of just _you_. Of course, he _may_ only have to capture me if you go willingly..." She's musing now.

"I won't."

"Well, that's great. And with only one Lightsaber between the both of us, I think we can sign onto the First Order now, thanks."

" _You're_ supposed to be the optimist." Kylo returns.

"Kind of hard to be _optimistic_ when both of our slightly crazy masters have teamed up to look for us!" She shouts.

 _More than_ slightly.

"I know, but..." Kylo tries to find a bright side, but before he can, Rey interrupts.

"Why do you think I suddenly felt panicked last night? You haven't explained _that_ yet." Rey reminds him. Kylo acknowledges that she wants to change the subject, and tries to shift his mind as well.

"Well… it _could've_ been because of the Force bond." Kylo theorizes. Although he's not directly looking at her, he can feel her stiffen.

"Is that stupid Force bond going to get in the way of literally _everything_ I do now, all because _you_ messed up? That's not—" She catches herself. "That's not _logical_. Why would I feel that way suddenly, and not just all the time?" She asks.

"Because you were looking into my mind anyway." Kylo responds. There's a pause, as Rey tries to find a comeback. Kylo wonders if what he's saying is true.

Apparently his explanation has passed her standards, because she keeps quiet. Kylo decides to bring her attention back to the issue.

"You don't necessarily like the Light Side, either." He notes.

"What're you implying? Is this another pitch about the greatness of the Dark Side? Not working." Kylo can feel her defenses going up.

"No..."

Then it dawns on him, the term he's been trying to remember for days.

" _The Gray Jedi._ "

"What?"

" _That's_ what I've been forgetting. It's the legend Luke told me about the Gray Jedi, way back when."

"Oh?"

"It's about someone named... Thorin Plagueis, I think."

"I've heard that name before."

"Plagueis, for sure. Darth Plagueis was famous for avoiding death. His brother, though... he didn't want to avoid death. He _accepted_ it. He was a Jedi through and through."

Kylo pauses. He remembers the way Luke told the legend. He thinks Luke did a better job.

"When his brother, Darth Plagueis, went Dark, Thorin knew the only way to defeat him was to become the most powerful and purest Jedi there ever was."

"Like Luke."

"Sort of. Thorin read the Journals of the Whills, the ancient Jedi books, cover to cover. What he discovered there was not what he thought the Jedi stood for in the slightest. The Journals spoke of suppressing all feelings, of meditating almost constantly, and above all, not being able to love.

"Thorin went to the Jedi Council immediately with his findings, and the request to change the foundation of the Jedi Order to fit more people and avoid more from becoming Dark. The Council did not only reject his plans, but banished him forever."

Rey gasps.

"He travelled to an uninhabited planet, and constructed his own, new Order: the Gray Jedi. He inducted himself as the only member, and hid his findings away for someone else, in a new age, to find. He did nothing to stop his brother's apprentice from murdering his master; he abandoned his work and focused on being the purest Jedi once again, knowing that the galaxy just wasn't ready for that sort of balance. He died peacefully, and told no one about his work. Eventually, a new Jedi _did_ find it, and pieced together enough to form a conclusion as to what the Gray Jedi stood for. There hasn't been one since."

Rey, sitting down now, claps.

Kylo realizes he's sitting down, too.

He shrugs. "It's just a story. I dunno. I doubt it's real."

"Who was the Jedi who found his work?"

"His name was Yoda."

Rey gasps. " _Wow!_ "

"He found the work concealed in a small tree when he was waiting for Luke to return. He tried to correct some of the things he'd said. See, Yoda ended up wanting the Gray Jedi to become the new balance."

Rey gets up and starts pacing.

"I'm _obviously_ not the best Padawan. I... I could _do_ it."

"And I bet you could, but the Light Side _needs_ you."

"Not if _you_ became one, too."

Kylo scoffs. The idea is so otherworldly that he brushes it off right away.

"Don't be ridiculous. Snoke's going to kill me as it is."

"I _told_ you, don't talk about that."

Kylo rolls his eyes. "It's _true_."

"Well, if that's really the case—"

"It is—"

"Then maybe you shouldn't care about consequences anymore."

Kylo looks up at her. She's still pacing, but there's a small smile on her lips. She knows she's won.

 _I won't acknowledge it._

"I'm guessing that Luke and Snoke will be here in about... five days' time. We need to figure out what to do until then."

Rey stops pacing and faces him. "We could run."

"We could _what?_ "

"Two hundred miles. That's all. Two hundred miles. We could make it."

"That's a long way, Rey."

She's positively beaming at the use of her name.

"I know, but with water, food, and a little bit of confidence, we could make it!" She exclaims. Kylo can feel her excitement radiating off her. He doesn't share it.

"And what would we do when we arrived?"

To Kylo's disappointment, she has an answer ready. "We steal a ship and learn more about the Gray Jedi. Then, you can make the voice to either go back with your master, or restart the Gray Jedi."

"I don't think you'll like all that you find." Kylo says darkly.

"I _know_ I won't."

"Touché."

Rey smiles. "Well, I suppose we _can_ just sit here and rot until our masters come and get us. It's up to you, really."

 _But it's not. You'll probably do it anyway, and then I'll be stuck with the blame of killing one of the most powerful Force users of all time. Besides—_

"Yes it is." Rey says wisely.

"Get out of my head." Kylo's voice is harder than he intended.

Rey obliges. Her smile is gone.

"Look, I'm going to go back to the main crater and see if we missed anything, okay? We don't have to get out of here if you don't want. I just... just thought it was a good idea because your master is going to punish you. I guess I _do_ need to acknowledge that more."

She looks at the ground as she exits.

Kylo senses a change in his mind, however subtle, as she departs. He wonders if it has to do with that stupid Force bond again.

 _Great. What if I've made her ashamed of her Force powers?_

Kylo frowns. He's known only one Force user who did that before, though they did it intentionally.

And his name is Luke Skywalker.

"Rey! Wait up!" He finds himself calling.

She turns, not yet at the exit.

Kylo forces himself to smile. "Let's get ready."

* * *

Rey's made a plan.

She calls it the "Extremely Powerful Force Users' Plan To Escape Their Masters And Become Gray Jedi".

Kylo disagrees.

With the title, anyway.

 _The grand plan is to leave the lagoon at midnight with boxes filled with blankets, all the leaves we have, and lots of water. We'll split up the load evenly, and head in the direction of the Resistance Base._

 _Worst case scenario: When we arrive, the base will have been taken over by the First Order and Snoke will be waiting. Then he will capture the both of us (instead of just Kylo) and try to turn me to the Dark Side._

"That's a pretty detailed worst case scenario." Kylo comments.

Rey rolls her eyes. "I'm just _preparing_!"

"What about us dying of dehydration in the hot sun? That's a pretty bad worst case scenario."

"Yes, but if Snoke takes us, the Dark Side will be dominant. We're talking the fate of the _galaxy_ here."

Kylo shrugs and puts more blankets on a stack. "Whatever you say."

Rey smirks.

"We leave tomorrow. Right?"

"Correct."

Rey smiles to herself. It feels good to actually have a plan. She finds herself slipping over to the bushes as she fulfills her job of collecting food.

Her weathered leather shoes scramble on the small salt rocks, and she stumbles. Her hands graze the rough wall. She cringes. Maybe the nerves have finally gotten to her.

 _Some scavenger._

She picks herself up again, and calmly reaches the bushes. The leaves they've already picked aren't growing back as fast as she'd hoped.

"If we take all the leaves, we'll kill the plants." She says to herself.

"So?"

Rey shrugs. She reaches out and lets her hand stroke the bush.

 _It could be worse. Killing a_ plant _isn't the worst thing I've done._

She shakes her head. "Sorry," she mutters. "After Windu, it's just..."

 _Argh! How could he_ do _that?_

"You're thinking of him as a person." Kylo comments.

Rey immediately thinks to BB-8, and how Poe treats him like a brother. She realizes he's right.

"True. I guess we should've paid more attention to how you two first met." Rey admits. Kylo smirks, and Rey is reminded of Han Solo. _No._

"I think you're forgetting how _we_ met, Scavenger."

"Don't call me that," Rey replies automatically.

She knows it's just a nickname now, but it doesn't mean she dislikes it any less.

Bringing herself back to the task at hand, Rey takes a look at the plant she needs to harvest from.

 _Come on. I'm stronger than that. I'm a Force user, for Obi-Wan's sake._

She squints her eyes shut, grabs a handful of the leaves, and yanks.

Rey grins.

"Hey, look! I did it!" She cries, forgetting temporarily that it's not Finn who looks back at her, but Kylo Ren.

Kylo's voice is sarcastic. "Congratulations."

But Rey knows it's better than nothing.

With the leaves in hand, she sashays clumsily down the pile of rocks, to the basket she's supposed to be filling. She then grabs handfuls of sand and throws them in the air, laughing as they brush against her skin and into the water, which subtly ripples with the disturbance. It's her way of celebration, despite such a small accomplishment.

Kylo watches her with amusement.

Rey doesn't know what brought on her mood. She blames it on the upcoming adventure.

Rey dances until sunset.

Eventually, Kylo stops work and watches.

Rey looks to the sky, staring down the stars.

"It'll be nice to see the full sky again."

Rey looks over at Kylo. He's looking at the stars, too.

"Do you think they're looking for us?" He asks casually.

"Most definitely."

Rey scans the sky for incoming ships, though she knows it's futile.

"Let them look." Rey concludes.

Kylo's smiling now, too. _He must've been wanting to plan an escape for a long time._

Rey resumes dancing. Her feet ache from the harsh use over the past few days, and she knows it's only going to get worse.

But somehow, she'll manage.

The galaxy is depending on her.

She hears Kylo moving behind her. She stops, suddenly embarrassed, although she doesn't know why. He pulls out two portions that, by the looks of them, are from his ship. Rey's totally forgotten about them.

"Want to celebrate?" He offers.

Rey strides over, eying the food. "Why...how..."

"I was saving them for the right time. A 'matter of life of death' kind of situation, but this works, too."

Rey accepts the portion. It's not unlike one of her portions on Jakku. "What're we celebrating?"

"Maybe it's someone's birthday. Somewhere."

Rey looks back up at the stars.

"Maybe."

"Maybe some planet is celebrating its Independence Day."

"Or maybe it's being taken over by the First Order." Rey jokes.

The portion reminds her of home almost exactly: it's just as bland, but if she had to guess, it has more nutrients than the portions back on Jakku.

 _Leave it to the First Order to snazz up even the emergency portions._

Rey finishes way before Kylo does.

It's getting dark.

"So. We're leaving tomorrow at midnight?" Rey inquires.

"Have you forgotten the plan?" Comes the dry response.

"No."

No response. Rey stands up and continues picking leaves, something she knows she's way behind in doing. When she finishes, she knows it's not going to be enough.

"I think you're forgetting the leaves in the main crater."

"Oh! Right!"

Rey sounds like a bubbly idiot, even to herself. She goes red.

Embarrassed, she walks as quickly as she dares out of the crater.

Left to her own thoughts (or at least, she hopes), she lets her legs go on autopilot and allows herself to drift through the crack, basket in hand.

She's exhausted. And scared.

She's about to start a new order with her worst enemy, off a children's story.

 _I'm going crazy_.

She needs to rest, to clear her head. She rests herself on a large rock, and tries to empty her mind, but instead finds her eyes drooping, which is definitely not her intention. _No! Wait! I can't sleep now!_

 _And she's back in the lagoon. But it's somehow different. It's littered with bones that look disgustingly human, and there's no water, just ancient shadows of puddles, where they might've once held a few dirty gallons. TIE fighters are soaring overhead, taking aim._

 _Rey screams._

 _She presses her back against the walls, which seem to be growing smaller. The TIE fighters begin to fire. It's starting to rain._

 _Panic makes her thinking slow, her joints freeze, and her stomach clench. She sees a dark figure in the distance coming towards her. She's petrified._

 _Resistance fighters are at the scene now, but are getting shot down faster than they can appear. One crashes not twenty yards from where Rey's standing. Somehow, Rey knows it's Poe. She gasps and tries to force her legs to move away from the crash. They refuse. The figure is growing closer._

 _Rey curses under her breath._

 _She ducks when a blaster comes charging at her, and misses by inches. Her eyebrows are singed._

This is how I die.

 _She wonders how the First Order found their location._

What if Kylo gave us away?

 _The figure is becoming apparent._

 _Rey shields herself from the falling debris of an X-Wing. Her arms sting. She peeks through them to get a closer look at the figure._

 _It's Kylo Ren._

 _Fear courses through her, making her feel numb. The rain doesn't help much._

 _He has his mask on._

 _An explosion rocks the ground._

 _Ren is making good time._

 _Rey tries not to cower. She vainly attempts to regain the imposing figure she knows he should expect._

 _He ignites his Lightsaber._

Oh, no. I'm dead. That's it.

 _She hears faint voices in her head, muted and muffled. She tries to make out what they're saying. She thinks they're calling her name._

 _Kylo Ren is now not ten feet ahead of her._

 _Rey is unarmed. She glares furiously at him, still frozen and now knee deep in debris._ _She wonders if he has anything to do with it. Dust flies in her face, and she has to close her eyes to wipe it away._

 _When she looks back up, Kylo Ren has taken his mask off. He's smirking._

 _Rey lifts her chin up._ Well, I won't go down without a fight.

 _He chuckles at her fiery composure. Rey puts her hands on her hips, hoping it will compensate for her lack of weapons._

 _The rain is chilling her to the bone._ Or is it the presence of such a Dark knight? _Rey decides it's probably a combination of the two._

 _"You think I'm going to kill you?" He finally asks. His voice is tainted with cruel amusement._

 _"_ Yes _." Rey defiantly shoots back._

 _"Well, you're quite wrong. I wouldn't want to destroy such a precious piece in the game of balance in the galaxy."_

 _"I wish you would." Rey looks around, trying to see anything that could warrant her escape. She notices that the crater is generally a lot smaller than she remembers._ Wait a—

 _"What do_ you _have to hide, Scavenger?" Ren drawls. But Rey's focus has shifted. This isn't the crater she's been living in for the past week._

 _"Where am I, exactly?" She asks suspiciously. "Is this some sort of_ test _?"_

 _"You tell me. We look to be on... Crait, isn't it?"_

 _Rey shakes her head violently. Her fear increases._ This isn't right.

 _Ren's eyes narrow. He steps closer. Rey looks past him to the crater, and the rain._

 _"There's no rain. There's_ never _any rain on C— the planet I'm on."_

 _Ren backs up in shock, giving her the chance to glance over her surroundings again. Looking around, she realizes that this isn't anything like the lagoon at all. It's as if someone got a three-second look before attempting to recreate it._

 _"Let me out of here!" She screams at Ren. Her face streams with rain— or maybe tears._

 _Instead, he pulls out binders from his satchel. Rey tries to make her legs move, but they're rooted to the ground. The voices in her head are growing louder._

 _Rey winces as the binders are shoved violently onto her hands._

 _"I'm_ not _going to the Dark Side." She finds herself saying. Her voice trembles. Why is she so weak? Where am I?_

 _"We'll see." Ren growls._

 _Quite suddenly, Rey feels a catastrophic amount of vertigo. She shrieks, catching Ren off guard. Her knees buckle, her feet remaining planted in the same spot. Somehow, she remains standing._

 _She feels it again, as if she's doing the Kessel Run in_ eleven _parsecs. Her stomach drops, and she falls to the floor, right at Ren's feet._

This is _not_ the way I hoped this would go.

 _The vertigo persists, dizzying her, making her want to black out. She feels someone shaking her._

 _"Come on. Let's go."_

 _Rey protests, her stomach flip-flopping at every movement. She's definitely going to black out. Still she struggles._

 _A ship lands, surely to take them away. Rey's exhausted. She's trembling. Ren has to carry her onto the large interior._

 _Rey's stomach does a double turn. She nearly passes out again._

 _She takes in the white walls, the metal grating, the benches for passengers. Strangely, the benches have all been pushed to one side of the room, forgotten._

 _Rey soon sees why._

 _Standing in the center of the ship are Snoke and Luke._

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for the cliffhanger, if it counts as one. Just a little side note: I don't support the Gray Jedi theory in terms of it being a plot point in the next movie, but it really makes sense for my story as a whole. Let me know what you think about it by leaving a review, and as always, remember to follow and favorite if you enjoyed! I'll see you soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello all! Can you believe we're already at chapter eight? I honestly didn't think I'd get this far with this, but here we are anyways! So, two POVs today, no Rey sadly, but it's a big transition, so I hope you like it. Happy reading!**

* * *

Finn was assigned detention for three days.

Small price, he figures, for failing to retrieve Rey.

He still has no idea what happened to her. He's had a lot of time to reflect on it. Staring at the walls isn't his idea of fun (although, he considers, Rey probably did a lot of that during her time on Starkiller).

Oh, he misses her so much.

He knows he should assume she's probably dead, as Poe has taken up doing, but he can't force himself to come to such a conclusion.

 _She had so much potential for the Light. For the Resistance._

Leia, too, was shocked when Finn and Poe came up empty handed.

She seemed to have been expecting someone too, and Finn has a feeling that it wasn't Rey. He knows no one else in the Resistance gives two credits about the young scavenger, but he's gone through so much to save her. He was reliant on her fierce optimism, her undying strength.

The first thing Leia said upon their fruitless return was, "She loved you, you know."

And Finn had smiled despite everything.

Then, after a higher rank officer shoved them into their holding cells, he'd seen her shake her head hopelessly. He knew she was hoping Kylo Ren would also return on their rescue mission. However, he was half glad they didn't find the Nerfherder.

 _Ah, Force, what am I saying? It would've been great to finally triumph over the great Force user._

He hopes Rey didn't have to deal with him when she crashed. He hopes Rey's still alive, though he doubts it: Spontaneous combustion on top of a severe lack of water sounds pretty deadly to Finn.

Night falls. He watches through the window as the massive gate closes, and as the incredibly flat landscape begins to merge with the dark sky.

He sees an admiral take Leia outside her usual sitting-with-head-in-hands Room (where she was spotted more and more often these days) and exchange words with her. He watches as her slumped posture straightens. A small smile traces her face.

 _What? What's going on?_

Leia bursts inside his cell, apparently unable to control herself.

"We're doing another sweep of the area."

Finn matches her grin.

* * *

Kylo remembers the day he attacked the Jakku village.

He could hear the screams of the children, the adults. He could see the fear on their faces. His face was one of fear, too, but he had a mask to hide it. He remembers the fires scorching through homes and shops, burning precious food and supplies to the ground that the villagers had worked so hard to obtain.

And he remembers the pilot.

The pilot who was stupid enough not to give him the map. The pilot who made fun of his mask (something that, Kylo later reflects, was much needed). The pilot who caused him to meet Rey.

Kylo doesn't know if he should hit him or thank him.

He knows Rey's caused him more trouble than she's worth— Force, she was part of the reason he lost his Lightsaber. But she did nudge him away from the Dark Side, something he knows he should be eternally grateful for. And as optimistic and happy as she can be sometimes, Kylo finds he can relate to her more than anyone in his life since, well, since _Luke_.

Luke was the only Force sensitive who wanted anything to do with him.

But, as he soon found out, that was only to avoid the oh-so- _terrible_ act of falling to the Dark Side.

Kylo leans his head against the wall to the lagoon. He's excited to finally be moving again, to get on his feet and _use_ them for something.

Fifteen miles a day would be a challenge, but he's ready for it.

He hopes Rey is, too. He's pretty confident she will be.

At the thought of Rey, Kylo looks around, suddenly worried.

 _Where could she be?_

It's way past dark. It'll be midnight soon, the twenty-four hour mark of their supposed departure. They're way behind schedule, not that Kylo minds much. He had his share of schedules in the First Order.

However, it's not like her to take her time when their goal is to get out as soon as possible.

On top of that, Kylo senses something amok in the Force. His uneasiness grows. He tells himself everything is fine. It's a strategy he learned when he was just starting out in the Dark Side. He uses it frequently in these types of situations.

This time, however, it doesn't help.

When Kylo's sure her absence warrants a search (and not a scolding), he reaches for his Lightsaber, groans, curses Windu, and ducks under the archway weaponless.

The maze of the crack slows him down, especially in the dark. He regrets even letting her go. He hears something faintly in the back of his head, but that's nothing new. Voices in his head, he's learned, are just another part of being a Force user.

He wonders who could possibly need his attention at that precise moment.

 _Well? Who is it this time? Yoda? Qui-Jon? Obi-Wan? Anakin? Oh, Force, it had_ better _not be Palpatine..._

The response he gets back is deafening. It's a raw, bloodcurdling scream, chilling Kylo despite the dry, warm atmosphere. Worse, it doesn't sound like it's from any of the annoying Force ghosts that've visited him in the past. He has a suspect of who it's from.

Kylo increases his pace, trying to get it out of his head. He half wishes it _was_ Palpatine.

 _This is how I die._

Kylo hears her voice in his head, panicked, out of breath, and yet strangely calm enough to unwaveringly deliver the statement... to _whom_? Kylo doubts she knows he can hear.

He tries to block the noise and her persistent voice by putting his hands over his ears. It doesn't help. It blocks the noise's exit, the panicked voice retaliating like a bird whose cage door has been shut.

 _Or a Windu_ , Kylo thinks humorlessly.

He breaks into a run against his better judgement. It's got to be past midnight now. Less than twenty-four hours before they need to be out of the crater system. He tries not to think about it.

 _Well, I won't go down without a fight._

These words chill Kylo to the bone. It's Rey's nature and philosophy exactly: it's got to be directly from her. Something is wrong, and he has a strange feeling he's a part of it.

He nearly misses a sharp turn, and is relieved to see familiar boulders and stones as he regains his balance.

Eventually, He arrives at the main crater. He has to squint hard to see anything, but notices a slightly darker shade of gray protruding under the overhang that was their temporary shelter. Under closer inspection, Kylo's certain that it's her. Rey is slumped against the overhang wall, soaking wet.

 _What in the-?_

 _What if Kylo gave us away?_ Rey asks.

Kylo was right. This _does_ have something to do with him, however twisted and strange. Worse still, he can hear faint sounds of battle raging if he strains his ears. He hopes they're all in his head.

 _Oh, no. I'm dead. That's it._

Kylo wants to yell. Frustration and confusion are the primary culprit of his actions: he runs to a soaking wet Rey and examines her. He still has no conclusion as to why she's suddenly so wet.

She's trembling.

Kylo looks to the sky, but the night is clear. He doesn't see a single cloud that could've produced even the smallest drop of rain.

He hears voices in his head again, more urgent this time, though still inaudible. He doesn't know what to do. Rey cries out again, and her feet shuffle in the dirt. Kylo can only guess what she's thinking of.

 _This isn't right._ She says skeptically.

 _No, it's not!_ Kylo thinks, hoping against hope that she can hear.

He tries shaking her, but she's unresponsive. He sits there for a time, furiously deciding what to do. It's then that he realizes that it probably has to do with Luke and Snoke.

Fear courses through Kylo's veins. He has no idea what they're capable of, but together they must be an unstoppable force, even against two very powerful Force users such as Kylo and Rey.

He checks her wrist for pulse. It's very faint. It's then that he realizes that her fingertips, ones that used to be streaked with dirt, grime, and various other materials, are fading before Kylo's eyes.

 _What?!_

As many times as he blinks to wash it away, and as long as he can think, _this can't be happening. It's impossible_ , it's as if she's turning into a Force ghost.

 _No!_ He looks around for help he knows isn't going to be there, for the Force ghosts that usually plague his dreams and everyday thoughts anyway.

Still nothing.

His only company is a faint screaming sound in the distance from a machine he can't place. It sounds vaguely familiar to Kylo, and takes him a few seconds to recall its origin.

 _X-wings_.

He checks himself mentally to confirm that it's not in his head, or a part of Rey's dream. However, he's heard the sound before, and is ninety-nine percent sure it's a reality.

 _What do I do? Do I flag them down or do I run?_

All his instincts say _run_. They're confirmed when one, a banged-up black one, opens fire.

 _What the Force?! Can't they see Rey right here?_

 _No, of course they can't. All they can see is a dark area in the crater somewhat human-shaped, and they decided it was me._

Kylo picks up Rey as quickly as he can and charges for the crack. The X-Wings follow in close pursuit, circling around him like vultures. Kylo's thoughts are focused on escape. He has no idea why they're attacking, but he does know that it's time to exit the crater. He doesn't have much more of a choice.

 _What about food? Water?_

 _It'll be enough. It has to be._

 _But you said_ yourself _it wasn't!_

Kylo's running faster than he's ever run before. He struggles to keep Rey stable. The face that she's soaking wet isn't helping. He decides to ignore the fact that her fingers are now completely gone, and the rest of her hands are slowly fading into nothingness. He can worry about that later.

The X-Wings have no way to attack him as he dashes through the narrow crack; even the best pilot can't hit a moving, tiny target inside a small area.

They try, though.

Salt stings his eyes and his scar (which hasn't showed even the smallest sign of healing in the weeks he's had it), making it hard to concentrate. He blinks hard, knowing every moment he takes to wipe his eyes is a moment lost to escape. The X-Wings keep up their relentless fire.

 _Some Light Side._

He recognizes the dented, black X-Wing as Poe's. He struggles to think of any way that ex-Stormtrooper "Finn" would've let him come and openly attack the spot where Rey could very well be alive.

 _Unless they've given up all hope._

He reaches the lagoon with little to no advantage over the X-Wings. They open up fire again, with twice the ambition and strength. Kylo refrains from Force-freezing the bullets, knowing it'll give his identity away more than he already has.

He snatches the basket of leaves and the canteens of water, trying to think ahead instead of in the moment. He sees a ratty old blanket Rey's been sleeping on, and snatches that, too.

 _Kill the monster!_

It's a new voice. It jolts him: he's only used to Snoke's voice, the Force ghosts', and in rare occasions, Rey's. But this one... it's the _pilot's_.

 _Force, what in the-?_

He decides to solve that issue later, in addition to Rey's apparent Force ghost transition. He wonders which is more pressing, and decides Rey's is for certain.

He slings the canteens over his shoulder, fumbles with the basket and blanket, and wonders what to do next. It seems like years ago when they had the conversation about this, but he remembers it like it remembers it all the same.

 _"I honestly don't think they're going to_ attack _us, Kylo."_

 _"The Resistance is full of surprises. What if they do?"_

 _"Well... then... just take what we have, my Lightsaber, and climb up the walls of the lagoon."_

 _"And how do you suggest we do that?"_

 _She pointed at the boulder Kylo had taken to sleeping on._

 _"There. A simple jump should do it. With a little help from the Force." She winked._

 _Kylo scoffed._

 _Rey jumped lightly on the boulder, showing with her hands how far a jump it was._

 _"Not too bad. I can do it, and I'm shorter than you." She says confidently._

 _"You know that's not how it works."_

 _Rey jumped down from the boulder, splashing the water as she went. Cheerfully, she added: "Well, when the time comes, I can help. Got it? Now, let's just keep going. We only have a few days before it's prime time."_

Kylo stares down at her unconscious body. At least she's stopped trembling.

 _I don't think there's a good chance of you helping me, Scavenger._

He starts for the boulder, doubting his chances as he does so. What he labels as Poe's ship circles closer. He jumps on top of the boulder, wincing as Rey moans in her sleep. Kylo tries not to look at her hands. _First things first._

He makes a wild jump for the top of the lagoon, but misses. He curses loudly, and ducks as Poe's ship fires. Amazingly, the Resistance's best pilot misses.

As a last resort, he removes his cape and throws it off the boulder as a diversion. It billows in the wind as it flutters to the ground, taking much too long than a human would to reach the ground. Somehow, though, it works, in his opinion: the aim of the X-Wings changes subtly and he attempts to jump up again.

Rey tumbles out of his arms and over the crest of the lagoon. Her small figure turns over on itself and it looks like she'd just decided to lay down right then and there and take a nap.

Kylo woops: his main obstacle is overcome. The X-Wings are still focused on his abandoned cape.

Kylo leaps over the crest of the lagoon, supplies in hand, and leans over Rey.

Her hand is gone.

He picks her up again, trying not to let his concern compromise any of his senses. The attack is still occurring, and stray blaster shots still have a good chance at hitting them..

The X-Wings don't see him charge away from the prison that had been their home for so many days. The system of craters that they'd cried in, that they'd argued in.

That they'd nearly died in.

Relief to be free of the confining place floods through Kylo, though he ignores it and focuses on getting as far away from that blasted place as humanly possible.

He remembers what Rey said in terms of where to go when they were eating their portions that evening.

 _"Well, if we're heading to the Resistance Base, we need to follow the massive life readings."_

 _"Rey, our sensors are broken. Very broken."_

 _Rey grinned. "We don't need sensors for that, Kylo. I thought you knew better."_

 _This insult didn't sting as much as it would've a few days ago. Now, Kylo knew she was only teasing._

 _"Okay, you've made your point."_

 _"Like Alderaan, I have."_

 _"Tell me."_

 _She turned her nose in the air playfully._

 _"You can't make me."_

 _"Fine. If you're ever unable to do it yourself, I guess we'll just be wandering in a random direction for all of eternity."_

 _Rey laughed. "That'd be funny."_

 _"No, it wouldn't." Sometimes Kylo grew tired of her blatant optimism._

 _I wish her blatant optimism was here now,_ Kylo realizes.

 _"Tell me anyways." Kylo requested._

 _"Fine. How'd you know how to get on this planet?"_

 _"I think_ I _asked a question first, Rey."_

 _She smiled, as always, as if hearing her name was a reward beyond any._

 _"You_ used the Force. _We both have people who love us in the Resistance Base. We just have to reach out for them. Their Force beacons will lead us. You just have to_ believe _."_

 _Kylo now_ really _hated Rey's blatant optimism._

 _"I don't_ have _anyone I love on the Resistance Base. In the words of Luke, I'm incapable of love. And_ you _aren't supposed to love, either!" He accused._

 _Rey only rolled her eyes. "I_ know _you love your mother, even after all this time. Don't argue—" She interjected when he opens his mouth. "—I can see it in your eyes."_

 _Kylo blinked._

 _Still, though, Rey met his gaze. "The General still loves you, too. You just have to... accept it, I guess."_

 _Kylo didn't want to accept it._

 _"And you?"_

 _She looked up in surprise. "Why, Finn, of course. And Poe, I guess, although I didn't really get to know him before..."_

 _Kylo scoffed. "You realize you're about to betray these people who you hold in such high esteem."_

 _Rey smiled sadly. "They'll come to their senses eventually."_

 _Kylo knew she probably didn't believe that, but he realized it was the only way she could keep going._

 _"Why are you doing this?" He found himself asking._

 _"Why am I doing what?" She returned innocently._

 _"Why're you betraying people who were kind to you, who_ love _you— you've said it yourself— for an unknown concept that might just be a housewives' tale?"_

 _Rey frowned, pondering the question. Kylo started to regret asking it and was about to take it back when she answered._

 _"Well, you can still be kind, you can still love while being on the wrong side. And_ somebody's _got to try it. Otherwise it'll always be unknown!" She laughed, throwing her hands up in the air. Kylo shrugged, trying to conceal a smile. She really didn't know how wise she could be._

Kylo finally brings himself back. He's found what's needed. He can't be thinking about anything else.

 _Like what the Force I'm going to do if Rey dies?_

Kylo still has no logical response as to why she's fading before his eyes. He only knows that he has to stop it, like an infection, and the only way he can do that is if he can get them to safety.

Safety doesn't come for a long time.

It's nearly dawn when Kylo reaches a stray boulder located in the middle of nowhere, and he forces his exhausted feet to move a few yards more and rest behind it.

Then he lays down Rey.

Her arms are almost completely gone.

 _No, no... what's_ happening?

He tries in vain once again to wake her.

Then he wastes precious water by splashing her, something in retrospect he realizes she doesn't need: she's still damp.

Kylo eventually comes to the conclusion that whatever battle she's fighting, she has to win alone.

His ears still ring from the attack.

 _I don't blame Poe for opening fire._ I'd _kill myself if I were him. But why would he do so if there was even the slightest chance of Rey being alive? Did he just totally lose control when he saw me?_

The thought that he may be able to accidentally impend such fear and irrationality into a person scares him.

He takes a small drink from one of the canteens, forcing himself not to drink the whole thing. His thirst is another problem he has to face. He knows that once the sun rises, they won't be able to move much: the sheer flatness of Crait won't provide any shelter from the sun. He gets out the blanket he packed with the water, and positions it over the boulder so it forms a sort of tent.

Then he prays to the Force ghosts for Rey.

He gets no response, which, as always, surprises him: they were experts at giving him unwanted advice back at the First Order. _Maybe it's because I really need it this time._

So, after a moments' hesitation, he reaches out to the only person he knows truly has the answer.

 _What're you doing to Rey?_ He asks, trying to muster as much anger as he can through his exhaustion.

He can feel Luke's shock at being contacted.

 _Bringing her back._ The old master replies stubbornly.

Kylo stiffens.

 _Is this the right thing? Is running away from the only home she's ever known what's best for her? For the_ galaxy? Kylo asks himself, blocking off Luke for the moment.

Then he remembers what she said when she'd first heard of the Gray Jedi.

 _"I don't think you'll like all that you find." Kylo had said._

 _"I know I won't." She'd confidently returned._

 _"Touché."_

Kylo groans inwardly. _She's too confident. That could be the death of her._

 _Your_ lack _of confidence could be yours,_ his mind answers itself.

Kylo shrugs at his own logic.

He knows what to say now.

 _No. She's chosen her path. It's about time you let her go._

He looks intently at Rey, hoping against hope that something will happen.

 _Not possible, Ben._

 _Don't call me that._

Kylo glares at an invisible enemy he knows is millions of miles away.

 _Give her back, Luke. She's not yours to take. She's allowed to make her own choices._

 _She's not yours to take, either._

 _I don't think_ I _was the one to capture her this time._

Pink, filtered light shines through the dark blanket, illuminating Rey, their sparse supplies, and the rough side of the boulder Kylo's pressed against.

 _She belongs to the Light Side. She said she belonged to the Light Side on Ach-To._

 _Well, she doesn't. Loyalties change, Skywalker. Surely_ you _should know that._

This only confirms why Kylo left Luke. Luke believes in setting rules, in defined, unmovable boundaries and loyalties.

 _So, what, then? She's Dark, now? I have Snoke here, too._ Skywalker threatens.

 _No, she's not Dark, either._

How can Kylo explain this?

He doesn't have to: after this, Luke leaves his mind. He rolls his eyes.

The pink light grows more intense. It's a kaleidoscope of little squares, soaking through the loosely woven blanket. As Kylo shuffles to prepare for the oncoming heat, the light dances. _Rey'd like it._

She shifts.

Kylo's eyes widen. _Did I_ imagine _that? It could've been a trick of the—_

No. She's definitely moving.

Kylo grins.

He watches as her mysterious fading limbs restore, as Rey moves her fingers subconsciously, and goes back into a more natural sleep.

Kylo lets out a sigh of relief.

 _See, Luke? Rey's not Light anymore. And I'm not entirely sure_ you _are, either._

His triumph extends when he sees that, through a hole in the blanket, there are clouds in the sky. They may contain much needed rain.

 _Things are looking up. Nice change._

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there you have it! Chapter eight! I hope you enjoyed, even with our lovely Rey out of the picture this round. Just as a reminder- I won't be posting on Thanksgiving, if you were expecting me to for some reason. Just thought I'd put that in as a disclaimer. Tell me how you liked it by leaving a review, and/or follow and favorite if you enjoyed! I'll see you soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello all! Today is the last day I'm posting before Thanksgiving, and I may also skip posting on Black Friday as well. So, I decided to do a super long chapter to compensate! Now, according to my plans, we're entering part two (out of four) this chapter, but the next part is pretty short, so I wouldn't judge the length of the story off of that alone. Anyways, happy Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it)! More A/N at the bottom!**

* * *

Cozy, warm light seeps through Rey's eyelids, causing her to flinch. Then, uneasily, they open. Rey sits up.

She's not with Luke and Snoke anymore, thank the Force.

She's under a woven blanket, on top of hexagons of coarse, hard salt, and pressed against a rough boulder that looks more like rocks in the lagoon than anything else.

And the real-Kylo is there, too, preparing food. She takes note that his scar has opened up again. He hasn't seen that she's awake yet.

 _Ugh, I'm always out of it whenever stuff happens. Stupid Luke. Stupid Snoke._

Yes, she'd heard Kylo's voice mixed with Luke's, arguing, when she was being "transferred". Oh, and transferring? It was _agonizing_. After she'd boarded the ship, she'd been shoved onto a table, and told by Luke that what was about to happen would be the worst pain she'd ever felt in her life. Suddenly, her fingertips were just _there_ , and the rest of her body had almost a Force-ghost-like property to it. She remembers hot pain, and someone restraining her on the hospital bed in Snoke's ship on which the procedure was done. She remembers screaming.

She can only imagine what it looked like on the other end.

However, she figures she won't have to imagine much longer.

"Um... hi." She croaks. Her throat is dry, but what surprises her the most is that her clothes are somehow damp. _How..?_

He looks up. She watches as relief fills his face and he smiles, but then adopts the look she now associates with the need for answers.

"What _happened?_ " They both say at the same time. Rey goes red despite herself.

"Eat first."

Rey knows he's going against his thirst for knowledge (which she knows he rightfully has), but she agrees that she'll probably give more solid answers with a full stomach.

He holds up a green cake-like thing. Rey's eyes widen at the sight of it.

"How did...?"

"There's more direct sun here, out in the open. I made 'the usual', and cooked it." He explains, lifting the blanket just enough to reveal a sheet of metal, with clumps of leaves roasting in the sun.

Rey accepts the cake. "Wow."

She eats it in record time, stopping only to take a carefully measured drink from her canteen.

Then, with a glance at Kylo, she peeks under the blanket again.

She gasps.

The craters are nowhere in sight. They're in the middle of a giant salt flat, with the distant peaks of mountains shimmering with heat waves.

 _We've escaped. And I did absolutely_ nothing _to help._

"You did plenty." Kylo says, reading her thoughts. Rey can't detect sarcasm.

"What do you mean?"

"Your planning was what got us out of there alive."

Alive? _What on Alderaan?_

"Why _wouldn't_ we be alive?" She asks, hoping it was simply a misuse of words.

"Well... the Resistance attacked." Kylo cringes.

Rey rolls her eyes. "Define 'attacked'."

Kylo's obviously been expecting this. "They brought in their X-Winge, fired blasters, and generally tried to kill me. I don't think they saw you, or they probably would've been more careful."

"Leia must've made a mistake." Rey can't believe it.

"I tell you, she's probably disowned me. And not recently," He adds, "probably the moment she sent me off to Luke's."

Rey looks down. "Yeah, well—"

"I think the only reason we're still here right now is because your... friend, Poe, was likely still holding out hope that you were alive. I've seen him be more brutal, and if there's anyone he should be _brutal_ towards, it's me." Kylo theorizes.

Rey shakes her head, prompting the realization that her hair is undone. "The galaxy doesn't revolve around me, Kylo. Poe's just a nice guy."

"In a way, it kind of _does_."

Rey runs a hand through her hair. It smells of salt and sweat. She cringes.

"Does not. Anyway," she says, changing the subject, "how much food do we have?"

Instead of responding, Kylo points to a basket that's about halfway full of leaves. Rey peeks outside once again, relieved that at least there's a bit more food than she would've thought originally.

"It's not much. I have no idea how we're going to make it last." Kylo says, confirming Rey's suspicions.

Rey groans.

He shrugs. "At least we're away from that stupid lagoon."

Rey knows he's trying to be optimistic, so she decides not to mention that that lagoon held food and water to keep them alive. "Yeah." She agrees uneasily. "So, what's the game plan now that we're... here?" _Wherever "here" is._

"Well, it's hot outside. The lagoon kept us cool— no direct sunlight. I wouldn't recommend trying to walk fifteen miles in the beating sun." Kylo muses.

"Okay, then. We go at night. Does that mean we _just_ sleep during the day? I just woke up." Rey complains, despite the obvious.

Kylo only smirks. "I thought someone who went through that much last night would have wanted to rest, but if you don't, that's fine, too."

Rey frowns. _Well, I'm_ not _tired, so I suppose I can just sit here watching the clouds go by. It's only sunrise._

"You could tell me what happened." Kylo suggests.

Rey slumps against the boulder wall. The idea of telling such a far fetched and unbelievable tale alone exhausts her.

"I could read your mind, if you'd like."

 _Trust me, that is to be avoided at all costs._

He shrugs. "Whatever. I don't care." His gloved hand traces the crumbling face of the boulder, and Rey is reminded briefly of the morning when Windu escaped.

"Fine. Go ahead. It's easier than telling it." Rey flinches. "Just..." she hesitates. "try not to make it hurt, okay?"

He nods.

She feels a presence in her mind, not unlike that of when they first met, searching through her memories. She scowls. It's a very strange feeling.

He's found it. She tries not to plunge into the memory as she's sure he's doing. She watches his face closely, trying to match every reaction to an event. She digs her fingers through the sand, feeling uncomfortable. She makes the shape of an X-Wing without even really thinking about it.

Minutes pass.

Rey adds details to her X-Wing, and eventually makes a miniature Poe Dameron and BB-8 riding in it. She frowns, thinking of the pilot firing at them just last night, and changes it to a young Luke Skywalker and R2. She marvels that she can still function normally while someone is extracting things from her head.

After her X-Wing, she begins on a very intricate Windu. By what she can tell, the memory is about halfway done. She busies herself with the spikes and features of the creature, and gives it a small smirk. She draws Kylo's Lightsaber next to him. Then she crosses her legs and waits for Kylo to be done.

She thinks she hears shuffling outside, but it's too faint for her to be sure. She intertwines her fingers together, ears straining. The noise is gone. She frowns.

Eventually, she feels the presence leave her, and she allows herself to think, _Took his sweet time, didn't he?_

Kylo shrugs. "That's amazing."

"That's _it_?" Rey gapes at him.

"What else is there to say? They've done something that the Journals of the Whills specifically stated impossible: teleportation."

"Well, maybe with one Force user on each side it's different." Rey suggests. _I took part in something that ancient Jedi said was impossible! Is that good or bad?_

"Bad, probably."

Rey glares at him. "Stop."

"Anyway, we're also talking about people who spent years upon _years_ studying their particular side of the Force. The experts of experts." He adds.

This doesn't make Rey feel any better. "Well, seeing as we've pretty much had our death contract signed by Poe, what're we going to do?" Rey wonders.

Kylo sighs. "I don't know."

 _Well, that's nice._

"Maybe they'll come around again." She suggests.

"Maybe."

Rey knows he's only entertaining the idea because it's the only hope they have.

Wind beats against their blanket, causing it to flap in Rey's face and forcing her to press against the boulder further. She flinches.

"They'd _better_ come soon." She mutters ominously.

* * *

Finn is currently not speaking to Poe.

Poe is totally fine with that.

It allows him to tend to his damaged X-Wing (stray gunshot from Red Leader) and wonder how Kylo Ren got into his head.

No, not the first time.

Last night. Poe was thinking about killing him (who could blame him after listening to Finn all day?) when he'd heard the stupid Nerfherder in his head. He'd nearly crashed.

 _Force, what in the-?_

And that was all.

It had been the voice Rey and Finn had described, not the mechanical one that was all Poe ever knew.

He knew Ben Solo's voice, though.

The two of them were next-door neighbors when they both were... four? Something like that. As equally good pilots, they'd played X-Wings Versus TIE Fighters. They'd fought over who had to be the TIE pilot.

When Ben'd gone away to Luke's, Poe dealt with a lot of jealously. _How come he gets Force powers and I don't?_ He'd pleaded to his amused parents. When he'd next seen Ben Solo, he was dead. In his place was the evil, machinelike Kylo Ren.

Or so he thought.

When he heard his voice again, it sparked a hope that Ben Solo was alive.

He knows he should be more focused on the fact that he could have very well been the death of his best friend's best friend. And a very, very powerful Force user to boot.

He knew that the cape was a diversion. But that didn't stop him from shouting to his comrades, "Looks like our Golden Boy fell. All teams, attack!"

He'd been the only one to notice someone dart over the crater's vertical walls. He'd been the only one to notice him pick up a limp figure and charge out of range. Poe knew right then and there that that figure was Rey.

Why didn't he tell Finn?

His exact words were, _I shot him down, Finn. I dunno about Rey._ He didn't mention a single thing he saw besides that. Finn looked very conflicted after Poe delivered the news. Poe received a pang in his stomach when he told his best friend.

But the General?

It physically hurt Poe to lie to the General.

He could read the shock, the hurt on her like a book when he'd been forced to lie right to her face. _Why on Alderaan did I protect him? He's a monster._

 _He's my friend. Or... he used to be._

As for Rey, Poe knows she needs medical attention. She looked very unconscious. Poe wanted to turn on his headlights, but he was afraid the other pilots would follow his lead and find out the truth.

What _was_ the truth?

Poe can't answer that.

Instead, he prays for Rey, as he knows Finn would do if he knew. He assumes Finn prays for Rey anyways.

Most importantly, when he saw Ben actually pick Rey up, and not leave her for dead like Kylo Ren would, he knew for sure that Ben Solo was not dead.

And now he wonders what to do.

Finn's still giving him the silent treatment, and Poe's not sure he'd tell him anyway. False hope sometimes does more harm than good, in his opinion.

Poe rests his face on his palm, letting out a sigh.

"Sir?"

Poe looks up. It's Admiral Ackbar. Age has not gotten to the great war hero, despite being present at _both_ Death Star destructions, and he still dominates with a certain strength over Poe.

"Yes, Admiral?"

"We've been tracking some suspicious ships orbiting the planet, and more importantly, Ach-To. We were wondering what your take on these ships' behavior was." He croaks.

Poe brightens. This is his chance. "Start patrols around the planet. No, not in orbit," he says as Ackbar opens his mouth. "I mean, over land. Land speeders would be useful."

Ackbar frowns. Poe begins to sweat. _Will it work?_

Finally, the creature speaks. "Brilliant idea. You're a good man, Dameron."

Poe grins, shaking Ackbar's hand. _They'll_ have _to spot Rey and Ben during one of their patrols! I. Am. A._ Genius!

As Ackbar leaves, Poe resumes staring out his window. He watches one of those strange salt creatures charge across the terrain with something in its mouth. Poe's always liked those little things. He wonders what the object is. _Probably even more salt_. He turns away from the window in time to see Leia pass into a room down the hall. Ackbar follows shortly after, surely to give the new plan to the Resistance officials.

 _You'll see your son soon, General. I promise._

* * *

They spent the day preparing for the journey.

While Rey mended a few holes in the old blanket (which Kylo suspected even _Luke_ used on Degobah) and finished cooking the food, Kylo noticed she kept glancing over her shoulder often, as if expecting someone. He didn't blame her: after what she went through last night, _anyone_ would be looking over their shoulders suspiciously.

And now, as the sun sets behind distant salt mountains, Rey and Kylo pack quickly, eager to begin the journey.

Rey scans the horizon one last time before picking up her share of supplies. Kylo's almost relieved he didn't have the time to take everything they'd planned on: they'd be weighed down beyond belief. Rey slumps slightly with even her basketful of food and the Lightsaber. Kylo decided to carry the blanket, the canteens, and the small sheet of metal that, he believes, originated from his TIE-Fighter.

When he finally hoists everything over his shoulder, Rey's staring into the sunset. "Um... ready?" He asks uncomfortably.

"Oh! Yeah." She turns back around. Her lip is cut. Her hair is still undone, and Kylo wonders if she even has the means needed to tie it up again.

If she read his mind, she doesn't show it. Instead, she closes her eyes. Somehow, Kylo knows what she's doing.

Rey finds the Force beacons created by Leia and Finn seemingly quickly, for she instantly begins to skip in the direction of the salt mountains Kylo's been staring at all day. He's a bit surprised by her certainty— she's not looking back.

"Are... are you _sure_?" He asks, already following her.

Her head bobs. Kylo decides to take it as a _yes_.

"So. The mountains." He says, trying to strike up conversation. He's surprised at himself.

"Yeah."

Silence. It's the first time in his memory that Kylo doesn't enjoy it, even when he was a child. Even before Snoke began haunting his dreams, plaguing his thoughts.

"Does it hurt?"

 _What?_

"Snoke. When he tortures you."

"How do you know—"

Rey spins around, causing Kylo to stop in his tracks.

"You're always talking about how he'll kill you. I always thought you were exaggerating. But... you weren't, we're you?"

"I never joke."

She looks down.

"Why on Alderaan would you join someone who _hurts_ you?" She asks, her voice muffled.

"It's not that simple." Kylo mutters. "Can we _please_ keep going? This isn't the right time."

She's looking up again. "I don't care!" She cries. "The Resistance could be under attack at any moment. Luke could be betrayed by Snoke— Force, he might've already been. I just wanted to know in case... well... in case something goes wrong." Her eyes reflect the stars.

 _How long has she been reading my mind? And how far in has she been to find out that Snoke likes torture?_

"I don't know." He confesses. "It's hard to explain. And," he adds defiantly, "if you've already been in my head, can't you decide for yourself?"

"I wasn't in your head. I can tell enough without reading your mind."

 _What?_

She spins on her heel and strides in the direction they were going towards before the encounter, leaving Kylo staring after her. Eventually, he comes to his senses and runs to catch up.

Maybe an hour later, she's skipping again.

 _Force, she goes through moods like Hux goes through officers back home._

"I'm over it," She clarifies. "If Snoke's going to torture us, there's really nothing we can do."

 _If only it were only that simple, S-Rey._

"You're really getting better at that, you know." Rey informs him.

Another hour passes. Kylo decides not to comment on the fact that she was inside his head, despite previously being offended that he thought she'd done so.

She's the one to speak again. Kylo's glad he's exempted from that role.

"I want to try to turn Leia, Finn, and Poe to become Gray."

Kylo nearly laughs. "I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon." _Especially with that trigger-happy Poe._

"Well, I'd like to try, anyway. They're going to be right there, at the base, anyway. What's the hurt?" She pleads. Her voice is comparable to one of those traveling saleswomen on Naboo, trying to convince Han and Leia to purchase a fake Lightsaber when Kylo already has a real one. He smiles at the memory, despite the fact that his parents were present.

"Sure. Fine. You can try. But I'm not getting near M- _the General_ if I don't have to." He says, trying to cast off a lighthearted air. _Oh, no, don't mind me, I just don't really want to see my mother since I killed her husband recently. But it's really all the same_. _We can visit her, talk to her, even_ drink tea _with her if you'd like._ Kylo lets his pessimistic thoughts take over again as silence falls once more.

Hours pass. Kylo grows weary, and his legs begin to protest in further travels.

He thinks he hears Rey talking, but can't make out her words.

"Come again?" He asks.

She's still very quiet, but fractionally louder.

"Have you heard the story of how I got off Jakku?"

"I can't say I have."

Silence.

"Well, come up here, then. We're not being ordered to march single file or anything." Rey's voice is tainted with humor.

Reluctantly, Kylo increases his pace to meet up with her. She smiles triumphantly, nose in the air, but Kylo knows she's faking.

"That's better. Now," she says, a light in her eyes, "where should I begin?"

Kylo shrugs.

"The day before? Brilliant." Rey says. Kylo's brow furrows.

She takes a breath before she begins. She's smiling. _It's implied,_ Kylo thinks, _that this is a funny story._

"Now, I'm going to skip over the part where Mr. Dameron gets caught by someone named Kylo Ren, because it's actually rather graphic." She says. Kylo's look at being mentioned in the third person apparently only fuels the fire. "Oh, yes, ever heard of him? Absolute _monster. Terrible_ host. But, in terms of in a survival situation," she says, making sure he's looking at her, "surprisingly up to par."

Kylo allows himself to smile.

 _Probably the first time someone's said that._

"Out of Kylo's knowledge," she continues, "a small droid, a BB unit, 'one of a kind', managed to escape the raid. This droid carried something vital to the Resistance— a map that led straight to the last Jedi, Luke Skywalker."

Kylo pretends to gasp.

Rey's grinning. "The droid had no idea where he was going, nor that he was headed straight for the Sinking Fields. Fortunately, a scavenger— don't get too excited, Kylo, not me— named Teedo was conveniently there to capture BB-8. This ensured that the small droid wouldn't drown, but _did_ ensure that he would be melted into scrap metal within days."

This is news to Kylo. Rey pauses for effect, and Kylo listens to their crunching footsteps against the salt.

"At this time, another scavenger was eating the ration that she'd spent the past two days working towards. She'd put on her pilots' helmet, and was watching a ship launch when she heard distressed beeping. Able to recognize the language— Force, it was just basic 8247 code— she grabbed her staff and charged to meet whoever was trying to capture the droid."

Rey mimics this by grabbing her Lightsaber and swinging it wildly, running ahead. Kylo laughs.

"She saw Teedo, of whom she'd had previous unpleasant encounters, trying to pull the droid up in a net. Angrily, the scavenger convinced Teedo to let the droid go, which may or may not have involved cutting the net."

Grinning, she ignites her Lightsaber and pretends to slice through something. Then, Kylo thinks, she mimes adjusting the droid's antenna.

"They'd both been abandoned on Jakku by those who'd loved them. The scavenger hasn't had much contact over the years, and it didn't take much convincing to let the droid into her AT-AT house." Rey's moving her hands, emphasizing certain words. Kylo wonders if she's told Finn any of this at all.

"The next day, the scavenger returned to her usual scavenging routine. Reluctantly, she brought the droid along. She wasn't aware that two people, an ex-Stormtrooper and an incredibly skilled pilot, had escaped on a TIE-Fighter bound for her planet of Jakku. She wasn't aware that the pilot and the Stormtrooper were separated, and the Stormtrooper was bound for Neema Outpost, where she retired early that day to drop off the droid and pick up her portions."

Kylo notices a faint tinge of pink against the black sky. He wonders if they've made good time.

"As she did just that, Unkar Plutt requested she sell the droid for forty portions, something she now realizes is very underpriced," she adds, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Doesn't surprise me." In Kylo's diplomatic experiences with the trader, he seems to think that a prime condition TIE fighter engine is worth five portions. _Five portions._

Rey continues. "The droid, following the transaction, noticed a man with the jacket of the pilot. The scavenger, however, was busy with some of Plutt's minions trying to get to the droid. The Stormtrooper was stopped, staring at the scene. He'd probably never seen a brawl without blasters before." Rey smirks.

"I'm sure that was entertaining for him." Kylo comments.

Rey shrugs. "If it was, he didn't have much time to enjoy it. The scavenger came charging at him with her staff—"

"I believe the proper term is _stick_ , Scavenger."

"Please. You're as bad as Finn." She scoffs. "Anyway, she chased him down with her... um... metallic stick, beating him to the ground. The droid accused him of stealing his jacket from his master, Dameron."

"And he did, didn't he?" Kylo inquires.

"Well, technically, yes. But he thought Poe was dead at the time. And don't interrupt."

"Sorry, princess."

"I think it's you who's the prince here. 'Kylo Ren, Of Alderaan'." She says, spreading her arms. "I can see it now. What do you think, Kylo?"

"That's _prince_ Kylo to you."

Rey laughs, filling the cold air that was previously empty. Kylo thinks he hears it echo off the distant mountains.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted—"

"Don't test your luck, Your Highness." Kylo laughs.

Rey grins. "Well, then the Stormtrooper explained quite rudely that the pilot didn't make it and that he didn't appreciate being chased down with a stick..." Her voice trails off.

 _Well, Force, I don't really blame him._

"He also said he was a part of the Resistance. Still don't know why he did, he wasn't at the time... still, the scavenger was very impressed and half heartedly tried to apologize. And then Stormtroopers everywhere started attacking them. It was insanity for the scavenger, who'd only seen one or two from a safe distance before." Rey grabs her Lightsaber and tilts it so it resembles a blaster, flicking it on and off to give the impression of blaster bolts.

"The scavenger was terrified. The Stormtrooper wasn't helping. He said she'd been 'marked', Whatever that meant. TIE fighters were starting to join the mad chase, which the scavenger still didn't know why said chase was even occurring, but all the same decided to be heroic and get the Resistance guy away from all the fighting on a quad-jumper."

"How gallant of you."

"Not to the First Order. They blew up the desired ship, leaving the scavenger to lead the way to an old T-model freighter— 'garbage'," she adds for Kylo's amusement. "She fired up the ignition, telling the Stormtrooper to go downstairs and fire at the TIE fighters. Do you remember doing that ever? Have you ever been down there?" She suddenly asks Kylo.

 _Oh, Force, yes._

"Yeah, I have."

A pause. Rey's looking at him, still grinning. "I'm waiting."

"Whatever for?"

"Go on, what was it like?"

Kylo closes his eyes, something he normally wouldn't do while walking, but the salt flat doesn't show any sign of changing. He remembers. He remembers everything about that day.

"Promise you'll continue with your story after I tell mine?" He inquires.

She nods eagerly. She reminds Kylo of a young child waiting for storytime. In a way, she is.

"Okay, So... I was about... four and a half, I think. We were on a peace mission to Kessel."

"Hey, that's where Han made the Kessel Spics Run in twe—"

"That's what he tells everybody. And yes, that's where we were. You might have heard C-3PO talk about it. It's a very sketchy place. Even _more_ sketchy after the Empire left it lying in ruins.

"However, unlike most missions, this one didn't go as planned: they revolted and tried to destroy the Falcon. Mo—Leia, Han and I were right by the ship, so we escaped with ease."

"But then why—"

"Shush, Scavenger, I'm getting to it."

She huffs indignantly.

"Then my father, who even then failed to think more than five seconds ahead, proclaimed that he was going to run the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs, just to prove to everybody that he could do it. Leia, of course, wanted to get everyone out of there alive and protested. However, I'd always wanted to see my father in action. Han took this as good enough reason and made the turn, much to Leia's dismay. And just like that, we were already under attack."

Rey, now fully engrossed in the story, gasps. "And?"

"And we began. It's a very bumpy ride. We were being fired at in every direction imaginable, including front, though I don't know how. Leia was panicking, sending messages to Ackbar and friends telling them what to do if she didn't make it, Han was furiously piloting and saying some pretty bad curse words..."

Kylo pauses, lost in the memory. Rey laughs. Kylo imagines she's picturing it, too.

"And Han was in the moment, you know how he ge—how he got," Kylo corrects, receiving a pang in his stomach. Rey looks down.

"And he was all panicked... he shouted so many things... _why don't you use your Force powers to get us out of this, Ben..._ _do something, Ben..._ _get down there and shoot, Ben..._ "

Rey nods. "He lost his head."

"Yeah."

"So you _obeyed_ him?" Rey's voice is skeptical.

"I'm _not_ stupid. Do I have to prove it to you over and over again?" Kylo asks.

"I'm just saying—"

"I told you, I'm _getting_ to it!"

Rey rolls her eyes.

"Anyway, it was starting to get to me. Especially all the Nerfherder waste about using the Force to get a T-model freighter out of a spice run. I knew I couldn't do that. Luke had taught me that much, even though I'd only been training with him for a few weeks. So I decided to try something I knew was remotely possible. Leia was distracted, so I slipped down the ladder to the gunner's seat."

Rey gasps. Her eyes glitter with excitement; Kylo knows they share a sense of adventure, and this would be the sort of thing she'd attempt.

"It took awhile for me to figure it out. It's kind of a complicated thing to get the hang of: even your Stormtrooper friend... er... Finn, struggled with it. The ship was shaking. People were radioing in to access Leia, and I could hear every word. They asked about me. She didn't answer.

"Eventually I took the headset off. I aimed the blasters, and fired. The Force ghosts that were always there to annoy me... they helped." Kylo smiles despite himself. "Yoda was telling me that 'their blasters, you must mind', Qui-Gon was yabbering on about someone named Ani... Obi-Wan was furiously ordering me around. 'Use the left compluctor! No, not that one! The primary one! Oh, watch out!' Eventually I shut them out, too."

"Well, it sounds like you had good reason." Rey scowls. Kylo's surprised. He was expecting her to defend the legends, or remark about the fact that he has three Force ghosts who take pride in hounding him constantly.

 _Not recently, though, thank the Force._

"After minutes of pure stress and missing, I finally hit something: Kota Fett's ship—"

" _Kota Fett?_ "

"Yeah, Boba's daughter. Total nutcase. Anyway—"

"You _killed_ a _Fett_?"

"How many times do I have to say that _I'm getting to it?_ "

"Sorry." Rey's head droops, her tangled curtain of hair falling to join it.

"I didn't kill her, honestly, I was _four_. You overestimate me."

Rey rolls her eyes, which Kylo can somehow see through her mess of hair. "So- _ree_." She reminds Kylo of Leia's hair stylists that always used to bother him when he levitated Leia's jewelry and various items.

"Right. So, I sent her flying into a wall. She's alright now. I saw her on Takodonna trying to take a shot at me. The Fetts have issues with revenge."

"So do you."

"Shut it."

"I think I killed the rest of them, though. Once Han saw a ship careening towards a wall with blast bolts flying after it, he sort of unconsciously started giving me openings." He laughs. "He didn't even know who the gunner was, he just knew that they were our ticket out of there."

"Then what?"

"What else can I say? The ships were eliminated. We made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs, not bad when we're being attacked."

Rey grins. "Huh! I was right! Fourteen parsecs! That's what I said to Han at first, he corrected me..."

Kylo sighs. "Sounds like Han, all right."

He waits, but Rey doesn't jump back into her story like Kylo expected.

She's tucked her hair behind her ear finally, but her expression doesn't reveal much more about what Kylo's sure are meaningful thoughts. It's out of respect that he doesn't read her mind.

"You know, you were a really lucky kid."

Kylo looks up.

"Not really. You were just really _un_ lucky."

"I consider being the son of a war general and famous smuggler _lucky_." Rey scoffs.

Kylo shrugs. "Probably was. I dunno."

It's another ten minutes of silence after that. Kylo entertains himself by futilely attempting to contact his Force ghosts again, who've seemed to abandon him.

Rey stops in her tracks again, something Kylo has now grown weary of. He stops too.

"We need to get to shelter soon. The sun's almost up."

Rey's skin is orange against the glowing sky. Kylo nods.

"Okay. Where?"

There's not a boulder this time. They're in the middle of nowhere, with not so much as a protruding pebble to offer shelter.

"I suppose we could just sit under the blanket..." Rey muses. "It'd be kind of pathetic, but what other choice do we _have_?"

 _I've seen far worse, Scavenger._

She shoots him a look, and Kylo decides she has a conscious radar for the word " _scavenger_ ".

She squints as she looks to the mountains, which have barely grown in size in their journey.

"Kylo— something's coming our way. It's small, but..."

"Size isn't a dependable factor. At this distance, it could be the size of a Star Destroyer. Whatever it is, it'll take awhile to get here." He muses.

Rey huffs. "Can we do anything?"

"No."

"We could be waiting for capture to come. Should we run?" She worries.

"Probably not." Kylo says.

Rey takes a few steps back, and sits down, still squinting at the tiny speck of dark in the salt. Kylo's still amazed they can see something so small at all. He spreads the blanket over her head and crawls under it himself after taking one last look at their visitor.

 _Whatever's coming will come, eventually, and the best we can do is be ready for it. For all we know, it could be rescue._

And with another glance at their sparse supplies, Kylo cartainly hopes so.

* * *

 **A/N: All of these seem to end in cliffhangers! Sorry about that! As said above, I may or may not post on Friday, so keep your eyes open for that. Also, we're making good enough time I'm shortening my deadline to December fourteenth for those of you who're watching the premiere (not me sadly). I hope you appreciate that. Please remember to follow and favorite if you enjoyed, and leave a review if you have time! I'll see you soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey, guys! I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving! Here's the next chapter, it was semi-difficult to write, but it's here now and I hope you enjoy it! The Last Jedi is sooner than ever, guys, excited yet?! Happy reading!**

* * *

The day is wrought with nervousness.

Rey twists and untwists her hands, wondering who the mysterious visitor could possibly be, and if they should be running or not.

Kylo doesn't offer much reassurance, besides an occasional offer to drink from the canteen or remark about how whatever is coming towards them is taking its time. Rey is left to occupy her own thoughts, mostly with the visions Kylo's story has brought her.

Mostly—

 _Ben._

 _His name was Ben._

She doesn't know why, but the fact surprises her. She knows he's used it before in front of her, perhaps multiple times. It's a name used by Luke's mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, when he was in hiding on Tatooine. She wonders why Han and Leia chose it.

Mostly, though, it surprises her that _Kylo_ is not his real name.

She knows it's stupid of her to be so ignorant— after all, Darth Vader did the very same thing. She guesses she's just never really thought about it before, not even when she'd learned that Han Solo was his father.

She decides she likes both names equally. She doesn't, however, know why he decided to change his name in the first place when the name Ben was a perfectly decent name.

 _Maybe it didn't sound_ doomsday _enough for Snoke._

 _Agh, Snoke, I swear, when I get my hands on him..._

It seems like hours pass. Kylo, eventually, leans his back against the boulder and falls asleep, something Rey's never seen him do. She figures he's very sleep deprived. She does some more drawings in the sand. These are of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Suddenly, she feels her senses perk up.

She peeks outside, anxiety making her fingers shake, planning out every possible scenario in her head.

 _If it's Snoke, I fight._

 _If it's Luke, I fight, too._

 _What if it's Finn?_

Rey nervously looks around.

Nothing.

 _Oh, Force, it'd better not be Finn..._

She feels vulnerable. She's aware of each time she leaves an opening for someone to attack. She stands up fully, listening to the blanket deflate behind her, leaving only the shape of Kylo and their sparse supplies.

"Hello?" She says. There's a tremor in her voice she wishes she didn't have.

Something hits her shin. She shrieks, nearly toppling over on top of Kylo. Looking down cautiously, she sees nothing still.

 _Force, did Snoke discover invisibility or something? They've already mastered teleportation. This isn't good._

But then she grins.

The attacker has backed up for Rey to take in.

She recognizes it instantly.

She blinks hard— she can't believe it.

" _Windu?!_ " She gasps.

The salt creature nods happily, plopping onto its rear. Rey bends down to nuzzle its fur, inexplicable happiness making her forget the sense of danger she'd felt just seconds before. Windu squeaks, flicks its tail, and promptly starts choking.

"Oh, Force, let me get you something... water? Do you need water? We don't have much, but..."

She ducks under the blanket, taking note that Kylo's still asleep. _Good. He'll flip when he finds out that Windu's here._ Hastily grabbing a canteen and shutting the blanket tight so Kylo doesn't wake, she turns to Windu again.

"Hold on, I've got water..."

She opens the container, but pauses. Windu's stopped gagging and has seemed to get the culprit of the episode out of its system.

This time, it's Rey to start gagging.

It's Kylo's Lightsaber, seemingly unharmed.

"What? _Windu!_ " She cries, picking the treasured weapon up. Hand on the button, she frowns. "Think he'd kill me if I ignited it?"

She decides to risk it. She closes her eyes, afraid for the worst.

She's half thinking it'll explode on ignition, but it doesn't. Rey uneasily reopens her eyes.

"What'd you _do?_ " She cries again.

The Lightsaber is now a smooth, calm crimson blade. The sparks and cross guards are no more.

"I'm not too sure he's going to like this..." Rey says, half to herself. She considers Windu to be of superior intelligence now, so she decides to address it as such.

"Um... you'd better come inside." She mutters. She ducks into the shelter again, and leaves a crack open for Windu to follow. When he doesn't for a few seconds, she eases her head through the opening again, ready to beckon him in once more.

Windu is gone.

She crawls fully out, panicked, but the lonesome salt creatures is just a far off shape now.

" _WINDU!_ " She yells, her vocal cords straining. No response. She glances down at the Lightsaber in her hands.

 _When we get to the Resistance, I'm going to warn everyone about all of those crazy salt creatures._ Rey stares at Windu's retreating figure, a mixture of amazement and guilt fluttering in her stomach.

 _Especially Windu._

* * *

Kylo's shaken awake. He mutters something in protest. He was dreaming about something... important. He can't remember what, though. As expected, it's Rey. She has a huge grin on her face, and Kylo prays to the Force ghosts for her that she's woken him up for good reason.

"Okay, okay. What do you want?" He asks, irritated.

"Okay, well... you're not going to believe this, but... actually, I didn't believe it myself at first... you're going to think I'm crazy, but..." She's very flustered. Her new manner confuses Kylo, who hasn't really absorbed anything she just said.

"Um... just look." She finally says. Nervously, she holds up a very familiar Lightsaber so Kylo, still laying down, can see.

"You're joking." He can't believe it.

She shakes her head. "W-Windu delivered it. He's gone now, but... oh, yeah, he fixed it!" She gasps.

"He what?" _Is that some messed up metaphor or something?_

"Yeah! But... ignite it outside, okay?" She asks. "Wouldn't want to impale the blanket."

 _Right._

Kylo lifts the blanket off them, and steps out into the sunlight. He looks around, but can't see Windu anywhere.

"Go on."

Rey's next to him now. She looks nervous. _That's not a good sign._ His hand closes on the button. He's reminded eerily of that day, on Starkiller Base, with Han...

 _No._

And with that, he presses it.

A totally new, controlled, finished blade springs up to meet him. Most shocking of all, the crossguard is gone. But he can fix that later.

Kylo turns back to face Rey, a grin to match hers on his face. "It's perfect. That little Nerfherder knew what he was doing."

Relief spreads across her face instantaneously. "That's why you came here, isn't it? To complete it?"

"Yeah." Kylo sees no reason to lie.

Rey pulls out her own Lightsaber, turning it over in her palm, contemplating something. There's a long pause. Kylo remembers trying to get it back, weeks ago.

 _That Lightsaber. It belongs to me._

 _Not anymore,_ he thinks without a drop of remorse.

As if someone flicked a switch, Rey puts her Lightsaber away, looking to the sky.

"It's getting dark. We should probably get packing, you ready?"

"Totally."

A pause. Rey moves to enter the shelter once again, but Kylo stops her.

"Do you... do you think the cre— _Windu_ 's going to be okay?"

She smiles. Kylo doesn't know why: it was just a question. "I dunno. I tried to give him water, but he ran away before I could. I don't think they need too much to survive."

"Good."

Kylo's beginning to regret jumping to conclusions about the creature. _They're probably Force sensitive, too. I can't see how they_ couldn't _be. We're basically walking on a giant Kyber crystal._

And suddenly, Kylo remembers his dream. He was on Jedha, an abandoned Kyber mining planet, with Rey. He didn't know how it came about to be dreamt about by him, but there's one thing he can say.

He knows where to go now.

* * *

"Jedha."

"Excuse me?" The words are out before Rey can stop them. She hopes she doesn't come across as _rude_.

"That's where we need to go. Jedha."

"I've never heard of Jedha before."

"Probably not. It's an abandoned Kyber mining planet. Used to be well known, but now..."

"Abandoned? Why?" Rey says, unscrewing her canteen and taking a measured drink. They're almost out.

"Empire blew up the place— or at least, a good section of it. The culprit was the Death Star, albeit still under development."

Rey's eyes widen. "Is that such a good idea?"

"I doubt it's that radioactive anymore. It's... maybe... forty years later? Should be fine."

"I'm not going somewhere that 'should be fine'." Rey declines.

Kylo rolls his eyes. "When a Force user dreams about a place, it's usually an inclination to go there. _Usually_. Like, ninety nine percent of the time."

Rey groans. "It doesn't sound very promising."

Kylo shrugs as he piles the blanket on top of the sheet of metal. "If someone described Crait to you, would you go there?"

"No."

"And here we are."

"That doesn't make any—" Rey protests. "I got here on _accident!_ "

"Sure you did. Anyway—"

Rey sniffs, and looks to the sky. It's dark enough to get going, she decides. "Whatever. Let's go." A pause. "To the base," She clarifies, making sure there's no possible way Kylo could've thought he'd won. Still, she inwardly reminds herself to tell Kylo that they should go when she's feeling less agitated. She looks to the mountains, but still can't make out any detail besides the general outline. This annoys her greatly, and she wonders if they're even _real_.

 _There's only one way to find out._

Ignoring her exhaustion, she picks her foot up in the direction of the base and drops it again. She repeats this tiresome process until she's sure she's capable of walking the usual way. She now regrets not sleeping during the day.

Kylo follows, eventually catching up to her and walking by her side. "Are you going to continue your story, or what?" He inquires.

 _Right, that._

Rey frowns. "Don't you know the rest? After I boarded the Falcon, surely your pilots reported to you what they saw."

"Snoke never tells me anything more than what I need to know at that precise moment." Kylo replies.

 _That would explain a_ lot.

"Um... okay. Where'd I leave off?" She asks. "And I don't think it's particularly exciting, either, just a few maneuvers and—"

"I somehow doubt that."

Rey sighs. "Whatever."

A pause. Rey knows it's her opening, but hesitates.

"Okay, okay, I'll finish it. Where was I?" She wonderd again.

"You were starting up the Falcon."

"Oh! Yeah, right! The scavenger had never really flown a T-Model freighter before, so she wasn't entirely positive how to pilot... at all. And she had this Resistance member below, counting on her, along with a tremendously important droid that had a map to a man she'd previously only thought of as a myth. The TIE-Fighters were closing her off, and she wondered if the Resistance would even know that it was her fault for killing off their Resistance member. Then, he pointed out that 'going low' confused their sensors... so she flew into the main scavenging zone, Destroyer's Roost. Then... into the exhaust port of a SD-Model 4829."

"You _what?_ "

Rey grins.

"Yeah! Don't worry, it was—"

"One of the bigger ones. I know."

Rey smacks her forehead. "Right. The pilots followed her, of course— they're very dedicated to their cause."

"You _think?_ They were trained from _birth_ to be 'dedicated to their cause'."

Rey sighs. "And even though they kept crashing, there were still two on their tail."

She recalls the fated day, her panicked thoughts, but the confidence that she was doing something right, that she was helping the Resistance.

"And he'd just shot one, his blaster was stuck in foreword... so the scavenger positioned the Falcon just upside down enough for him to shoot it. Then, without thinking, the scavenger shot the Falcon out of Jakku and into orbit." Rey concludes. She can't help feeling that she didn't do the excitement of the day justice. Sighing, she quickens her pace, hoping it distracts Kylo from the inevitable void she knows the ending left. _Ugh, if only I could tell stories better. I can't help it, though... I didn't speak much for most of my life,_ she consoles herself.

"You did fine." Kylo says. Rey can't tell if he was reading her mind or not.

Instead of responding, she takes her canteen and makes to drink from it— except she can't. It's completely empty.

 _That's not good._

"Hey, Kylo... how much water do you have?" She asks nervously.

He checks.

"Next to none."

Rey's eyes widen.

"I'm assuming you're out, too?" He asks calmly, as if analyzing pod racing statistics instead of their fate.

 _Yes!_ Rey inwardly cries. She almost doesn't want to say it out loud. She knows he's read her mind, though. His look of surprise and concern likely reflect her own.

"We'll be okay." Kylo says doubtfully. "They just... they just have to come soon. Really soon."

Really, really soon.

 _Jedha. Think about Jedha. We'll get there. Somehow._

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there you have it! More than thirty-five thousand words total! We're going to go into the third part of the story in the next chapter, hopefully. I really appreciate reviews if you have the time to post them, I love feedback. Also, I'm considering writing a super short story after I finish this one, so let me know if you'd like that as well. We're almost there, guys! May the Force be with you!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello all! We're onto another transitional chapter, so I hope you enjoy. We're getting to part three out of four! Yay! We're on the home stretch, guys! The Last Jedi is in less than three weeks! I can't believe how long this is getting, so I apologize if this one is shorter than expected. However, I'll continue to post daily. Please remember to leave a review, and follow if you'd like to read more/get notified. Happy reading!**

* * *

Knowing that their water was out, Kylo found it hard to keep his spirits up. Talking was subdued with the knowledge that each word wasted precious resources. Dehydration loomed over and haunted the both of them. However, Rey insisted that they continue with heading to the base, and Kylo decided they would be able to make some progress despite their condition.

They walked through most of the night until Rey all but collapsed.

Kylo had nearly laughed: he'd known it was coming, but she'd kept denying she was dehydrated. There wasn't anything they could do about it, besides: Kylo'd already given her the last of the water after she'd run out. She topples to the ground, her knees buckling, and Kylo has to grab her arm to lower her to the salt floor more slowly. She offers a mumbled "thanks," and closes her eyes tiredly.

She's still conscious, Kylo knows, but he figures they might as well set up camp now. They're not going to get much farther anyway, at the pathetic rate at which they were moving. They stop at a small divot in the salt, and Kylo jokingly comments that it's the best place to rest for a hundred miles.

"Not funny," comes the weak reply.

Kylo doesn't respond. He gets out the blanket, trying not to think about what's going to happen if the Resistance doesn't get their rear ends over here in the next few hours. Rey's seemed to get her act together again, because she protests when Kylo begins unloading her supplies.

"It-it'll be fine. _I'm_ fine!" She says relentlessly.

He rolls his eyes. "I'm the one who's going to have to carry you the three feet to the shelter. You're very _not_ fine. Don't try to deny it, either."

Rey turns her chin up, and attempts to stand up to get herself to the shelter, an obvious attempt of defiance. Kylo smirks and lets her, half-hoping she'll be able to.

She doesn't get very far.

"Shouldn't you have had this amount— even _less_ — of water on Jakku?" Kylo inquires curiously.

"Obviously I had more, or I'd have been dead long before Finn got to me, wouldn't I?" She replies snottily.

As she attempts to access the shelter again, Kylo squints at the mountains.

"Okay, I'm estimating we've got about a hundred and twenty five miles to go."

"We are _so_ dead."

"No, we're not. Not if the Resistance comes."

 _Which has a very low chance of actually happening._

Kylo cringes and hastily blocks his mind. He doesn't need Rey to lose hope, too.

"Could you just sit down already?" She asks impatiently.

He quickly sits down next to her. She's pale and clammy. _The Resistance needs to get here_ now _._

"Now what?" He wonders casually, trying to act as if they're sitting in a picnic on Naboo, and not on a salt flat on Crait.

"What're we going to do when we get to Jedha?" She asks. Kylo notes how she carefully avoids the word _if_ , and how she's apparently decided that they should go to Jedha, despite being so _opinionated_ about it before.

"Oh. Well... we'll visit the Kyber mines, try to see if there are any remaining protectors of them. Try to extract information out of any residents. They, of all people, should know something about the Gray Jedi." _If they exist. If_ any _of this exists._

The hardest feeling Kylo deals with is doubt. It's a close relative of guilt and mistrust, but it's slunk its way into Kylo's head since he first joined the First Order, maybe even before. It's been making appearances throughout his entire existence, and always worsens the situation, no matter where he is, or what he's doing. Makes him second-guess himself. _Including this,_ he admits.

He forces his mind to switch tracks. "Right. Want some food?" He asks Rey, figuring he already knows the answer.

"I told you, I'm _fine_." She replies swiftly, smirking at Kylo's reproachful look.

She crosses her arms, although laying down, and smiles defiantly at him. They engage in a staring contest for a good twenty seconds before Kylo comes to his senses and looks away.

"I can't believe we haven't killed each other yet," he mutters, mostly to himself. _It's really a miracle we haven't, to be honest._

She doesn't answer.

So Kylo plunges into a lecture about telling the different types of X-Wings from one another. He knows Rey knows most if not all of it, but figures it's better than lukewarm, uncomfortable silence. He compares their engines, discuses the newer ones versus the old ones, even discusses the pros and cons of them to TIE-Fighters.

When the sun rises, she's unconscious beside him, and Kylo wonders if there was any way he could've possibly prevented it.

He knows their only hope now is for the Resistance to arrive soon.

 _They're sure taking their sweet time._

* * *

"Sir."

Poe looks up from the usual reports about engine failures of So-and-So's ship. He's bored out of his mind, and guilt has been crawling at him all day. He clears his throat before muttering, "Go ahead."

"Our primary sensors have detected something. It doesn't look like the usual salt creatures, though, it—"

"What?"

"Salt creatures, Sir. The native species of Crait. Amazingly Force sensitive."

How could he have forgotten? "Go on."

"Yes, Sir. It looked like... like _humans_."

Poe suppresses a grin. "Any humans in particular?"

"Quite possibly Kylo Ren and the girl, Rey, Sir. Even though you pronounced Ren dead, it looks like..."

Poe jumps up. "Does the General know?"

"She's readying a ship now, Sir."

"Let her know that I'm coming, too. Oh, and get Finn!" He calls, already halfway out the door.

Leia's loading blasters. Poe dashes up and wraps her in a tight hug. He knows how important this is for her.

"What're we going to do if it's him?" She asks, her voice muffled. "And how did he survive your attack? I'm not blaming you, Dameron, it's just... _incredible_."

 _Good question._

"We give him a fair trial." Poe replies, knowing it's the absolute best they can do for him. He totally ignores the second question, knowing there's no answer he can give the General.

"Do you remember him?" She asks next. Poe's brought back to when Leia wasn't a general, when she watched with Han, holding her husband's hand, while Poe and Ben played in the back yard. They'd laugh whenever the two boys did, they'd always invite Poe to dinner, and he always accepted. They were like a second family to him, and he now thinks he spent more time at the Solos' home than his own. When Ben was sent to Luke's, Poe continued his daily visits, visiting Leia for comfort: his own mother was hardly ever there for him. They'd talk for hours, their walks only increasing in length as time passed. Then, like everything else in Poe's life, she had to leave and join the Resistance, and things changed again. Poe had become a pilot as soon as he was of legal age. By then, Ben'd already turned, the First Order was making regular raids on innocent villages, and things couldn't get any worse. Poe closes his eyes, lost in memory. When he brings himself back, he has an answer.

"I do, General, and I want him back just as much as you do."

Finn emerges from the small reconnaissance ship, and Poe realizes it's the same one they used to escape on. He wonders if that's on purpose. Upon approaching his former best friend, Finn gives him a small nod, a sure sign of forgiving.

"We ready?" He asks, anxious to get going.

Leia nods. She looks shaky. Finn, on the other hand, looks better than Poe's ever seen him. Poe hopes he can be the friend to both, even though they each have totally different goals to reach.

He fires up primary ignition. _Let's bring our survivors home._

* * *

"There!"

It's Leia who made the outburst. Finn looks up at her, knowing she's just as excited as he is. She's pointing at a dark splotch in the vast world of white salt they've claimed as the Resistance's.

"That's them, all right." Poe confirms. "I'm landing." Finn notices that his hands are shaking.

Before Poe lets down the ramp, he turns to the two of them. _Uh-oh._

"Look, guys, before you go out there, we're going to send a few reconnaissance members out there, just in case... um... anything is wrong." He says awkwardly. Finn receives the message, and wonders if the General does, too. _In case the crazy psychopath Kylo Ren comes flying in here with his Lightsaber and kills us all before we can retrieve Rey._

He hears the hissing of the ramp, the footsteps on metal, the readying weapons. He can see a sliver of bright sunlight as the door is left cracked. General Leia Organa places a hand on his shoulder.

And nothing. Not even a sound.

"General?" It's the Reconnaissance member.

Leia perks up.

"Yes?"

"They're both unconscious."

" _No!_ " Finn and Poe both shout, then look in Leia's direction. Her face is one of stone, not giving away any emotion.

"Bring them in, then."

Less than three minutes later, Finn is reunited with Rey.

She looks absolutely _terrible_.

Her face is pale, with a few red spots by her forehead and chin that Finn realizes is from putting salt in a wound. Her hair is down, and most of it is tangled into one mass. She has a cut on her face that runs from her cheek to her lower lip. It hurts Finn to see her this way, to see a once unstoppable warrior reduced to this.

But she's nothing compared to Ren.

His leg looks infected and completely ignored, although the injury looks like it went almost to the bone. His clothes are torn. His scar looks worse than ever (from what Chewbacca told Finn when he woke up). He's badly sunburned, and Finn wonders why on Alderaan someone would decide to sleep two feet away from a perfectly good blanket that'd have provided shelter. Then again, he reflects, Ren likely didn't have a choice. _He looks like he was trying to protect Rey._

"Looks like they were working together. That doesn't say much," Poe adds, voicing Finn's thoughts, "under the circumstances."

Finn looks at the floor. _Yeah, but I'd rather she simply kill him off and survive on her own._

 _But it's not up to me, is it?_

Uneasily, Poe turns his feet back towards the pilot's seat. "So... can we go, or...?"

Leia nods. Finn thinks he sees tears in her eyes. Apparently he looks pretty torn up, too, because she says, "We can heal her. She's going to be okay." She reminds him of his mother, if Finn'd ever had one.

Finn smiles. "We should call Luke. He'll be glad for his apprentice back."

"You're going to make a good general someday, Finn." Leia replies.

 _I won't let you down._

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Sorry if it seemed shorter than usual, I didn't want to introduce a totally new thing in this chapter. A new chapter will be up tomorrow, and likely for the rest of the week. I've been hitting a few walls in terms of writing, but it's still going to be out in time, so that's good. Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! Reviewing is definitely most important for me, I love feedback, so don't hesitate! I'll see you soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: More than a thousand views on this thing! Can you believe it?! I just wanted to thank you once again for sticking through with me as we get closer to The Last Jedi. I know it's not the most views anyone's ever seen, but it's still infinitely over my expectations. You guys're the best!**

 **Please remember to review, follow, and favorite if you enjoyed (and tell me what I need to improve on if you didn't), and as always, happy reading!**

* * *

Rey feels better than she has in days. Weeks, even. She's covered by a soft blanket, and bright light shines through her eyelids, making her flinch. More important, she's conscious, which means she's been hydrated. She wonders if Kylo's finally found water, and if so, how far out of the way they had to go.

Then she opens her eyes.

She's in a spotless white room, surrounded by medical droids, with no windows to indicate where she is. There's no living being in sight. There's something connected to her arm: Rey guesses it must be some sort of tube.

She screams.

"Please quiet down, Miss." a mechanical voice intones. Rey thinks it comes from the droid's chest. _Bad design._

"Where _am_ I?"

"The Resistance. We rescued you three standard days ago."

 _Three days? Force._

"Where...where's Kylo?"

Silence. The droid continues its work, pumping something nasty into Rey's arm that looks disgustingly like X-Wing fuel. She cringes.

"Answer me!" She orders.

"Why, he's in the detention block, of course, Miss." The droid finally responds. Rey jumps up, but another droid, a larger and stronger one, slams her back down.

"Hey-!"

She shoves the droid off, but lies back down anyway. She's not ready for a fight— yet.

"What do you mean, the detention block?" She croaks.

"Why, he's up for trial, of course. Political treason and patricide."

"Well, I can't say he doesn't deserve that, but... isn't it going to be slightly unfair? Everyone here _hates_ him."

"Why do _you_ care?"

Rey glares daggers at it, challenging it. She doesn't dare answer: she doesn't have a logical response to that. She knows that now she's at the Resistance, she could abandon their Gray Jedi plan, and think of him as her enemy once more. But she feels the need to prove herself trustworthy, however dangerous and irrational their plan may be.

The droid calmly continues with the procedure, not seeming to care weather or not she answers. Rey looks down at the syringe-like needle in her arm. "I think that's quite enough," she says coldly.

"Not if you want to live more than a few minutes."

Rey rolls her eyes, even though she knows the droid can't detect such subtle gestures. "What happened, anyway? Did the terrifying _Kylo Ren_ try to kill me? _Again?_ " She asks dryly, knowing it's anything but that.

"Unfortunately not. Severe dehydration and exertion."

 _Makes sense._

" _You're_ the ones who're supposed to give a fair trial! But you're not even trying, if even the _droids_ are so opinionated."

If droids could scowl, this one would've won the grand prize. It starts to say something, likely demoting both Kylo Ren and herself, but Rey reaches over and punches the mute button, albeit a little harder than necessary.

 _That stupid droid was probably right. I wouldn't last more than a few minutes, dehydration or not._

Leaning her head against the wall, she looks to the door and sees Finn standing in the frame, staring at her. When their gazes meet, he gives a timid wave, his lips barely curled into a shy smile.

She ignores him, wondering how long he's been watching.

 _I hope he's been here the whole time._

Smirking to herself, she tries to wait patiently for the fluid to run out.

And when it does?

 _Let all of Scarif run loose._

* * *

The minute the medical droids thought there was a chance Kylo was going to live, however small, he was thrown into a holding cell.

Two days later, the only Resistance member he'd seen yet was to deliver his food and tell him that his trial was in five standard days.

 _Trial?_

They hadn't planned this.

It wasn't like Rey'd expected Leia to welcome them with open arms, but they hadn't expected this. Especially after all the Nerfherder waste about Darth Vader being redeemed, despite murdering something like a hundred Jedi younglings.

 _Of course Darth Vader gets all the luck._

Every time that poor Resistance pilot shows his face (Kylo assumes it's some sort of punishment), he inquires about Rey and the supposed trial: _is she being trialed, too?_ No. _What am I being trialed for?_ I think you know that. _What's in this food?_ You don't _want_ to know.

An alarm blares somewhere in the distance. Kylo tiredly pokes his newly delivered food with a spoon, bored out of his mind. Remembering teaching Rey how to use such a simple utensil, he smiles to himself. The food itself tastes horrible.

He hears footsteps.

Setting down his spoon, Kylo listens carefully to the rhythms he can detect. From what he can tell, the feet belong to someone hurried, someone who doesn't belong in Detention Block 48579.

He's right.

"Oh, Force, _Rey!_ " He yells, thankful the walls are soundproof (he checked on day one by yelling maniacally at his messenger, partly for fun). She's dressed in an oversized hospital gown, with something sticking out of her arm. Her hair looks like it's been hastily cut and brushed. But she's smiling.

Her lips move without uttering a word: Kylo realizes it must be soundproofed on his end, too.

 _The code is 473994._

He's known it since that idiot pilot first entered the detention block. He'd read his mind, and knew it... but had no way of using it to his advantage. On the other side of the glass, she frowns and stares at the keypad. He thinks he sees her enter the code, and leans to his far right to watch. Eventually she stands back.

The cell opens with a harsh hissing sound, and there's Rey, with a triumphant expression on her cut-up face.

"Hey, Scavenger."

She dashes forward and embraces him, grinning ear to scratched ear. Being careful to avoid the mysterious and painful-looking cord attached to her arm, Kylo awkwardly hugs her back. She only comes up to his chest.

"What on Alderaan is that... _thing_ on your arm?" He asks when she finally steps back, still beaming.

"Oh! That's my lifeline. I think. The droid wasn't making much sense. I cut it off, and I'm still fine, aren't I? I don't think I'm really supposed to be here..." She says thoughtfully, glancing around. The other cells are empty, to Kylo's knowledge. _Guess I'm too dangerous for the white-collar prisoners._

"Neither do I. I'm supposed to be—"

"On trial. I know."

"Wait. You _disconnected your lifeline?_ " Kylo suddenly shouts, her first words finally sinking in.

She shrugs, unconcerned. "Sort of."

" _Rey!_ That's a pretty _big deal!_ "

"Is _not!_ I'm going back, anyway! This is just the planning process, Kylo! I don't think I'm quite ready to escape yet, seeing as I have to have _this_ thing!" She defends hotly, gesturing to her arm cord.

Kylo can't believe what he's hearing. "I'm going to be _executed_ before the planning phase is over!"

Rey shakes her head. "I've consulted the medical droid. We have a little less than a week. I'm going to get most of the planning done today! I've had a lot of time to think about it," she adds, "it took me an hour and a half to get away. I was going to wait until the brown stuff ran out, but then I got bored."

Kylo tries not to laugh. _The Resistance won't know what hit them. A prisoner breaking out before her life is secured? Probably news to them._

Rey continues. "Okay! So, the planning phase, right?"

"Sure. But you need to get out of here soon unless you want to be chucked into the next cell over."

She clumsily sits on the metal square that's serves as Kylo's bed. He can tell she's not used to wearing a hospital dress (which could also double as a tarp to cover an X-Wing).

"We've got to escape before the trial."

Kylo nods. "How?"

She frowns, playing with the cord on her arm. It doesn't seem to bother her much when it's not pumping fluid through it.

"On the way. We could break away and steal a ship."

Kylo scoffs. "Fat chance." He sits down beside her, trying not to feel the utter hopelessness if the situation. It's the last thing he needs.

"Finn and Poe."

He stiffens.

"What about them?"

"I already said I wanted to get them on our side. They're our only hope."

 _Are not._

"They'd betray us."

"They're my friends."

"They _were_." Kylo corrects.

"No, I think they still are." Rey says cheerfully. "I could ask."

"Are there any other options that don't involve Finn and Poe? And Leia," he adds when she brightens.

"Not really." She sighs, crestfallen.

"There is absolutely no way—"

"Look," Rey interrupts, "you're getting the death sentence. There's no way around that."

"Thanks a lot."

"It's true!" She cries, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I don't know why, but Leia doesn't seem to give two credits about you. It's not going to be a fair trial, no matter what they say."

Kylo jumps at her sudden outburst. "I know."

Silence. Kylo looks down at the cracked floor. "Fine. But Finn and Poe're going to try to kill me."

"They all will." She shrugs.

* * *

Shortly after Kylo gives in, Rey hears distant footsteps, and decides to return to the hospital. After withstanding his criticism about her life support being removed, she closes the cell door, enters the code, and sneaks off. She slips past the guards, casually knocks on the door to her hospital room, and smiles weakly when the snotty medical droid comes to answer.

She feels something injected to her good arm, and has just enough time to think, _What's it doing?_ beforeshe's plunged into darkness. When she wakes again, the needle is injected to her arm again, and the medical droid has double the support it had last time.

Also, she's cuffed.

She hisses in agitation, flexing her wrists against the metal restraints.

"Hello, Miss."

It's the rude droid from before. Rey glares furiously in its direction before facing the wall.

"You have visitors."

She turns around, against her better judgement. "Who?"

"Sir Dameron and Sir Finn."

 _Just the people I need to see._

"Let them in."

She hears a blast door opening, and two sets of feet make their way to her hospital bed. She looks up to see the faces of her old friends, both smiling at her kindly, if a little reserved.

"We heard about your escape." It's Poe. He's still smiling softly, even if his voice sounds a bit accusatory.

"Yeah." Rey mutters, looking at her hands.

"Where'd you go?" He asks. Rey can tell he's trying to be nice.

"Um... the hangar. To see the ships." Rey lies wildly. _Will they fall for it? We need to talk about something else now!_

"Liar." It's Finn. His voice is quiet, but ice cold. Rey stares at him, into his dark eyes, unblinking, challenging him.

"No." She says defiantly.

Poe looks at Finn as if saying, _let me handle this._

"Why'd you visit Kylo Ren?" He inquires.

"Well... we... we're friends now. What do you expect?" She cries. "We went through Crait and back together— we wouldn't be here today if we'd been Lightsaber fighting for our lives the whole time."

"But now that it's over, can't you just let the General continue with her plans and stay out of it? You've gone through enough already." Poe's voice is consoling.

"No. It's not that simple. We... we've sort of come up with a plan," she says awkwardly. She notices Finn inhale sharply, and Poe perks up.

"What sort of plan?"

Glancing at the medial droid, she mutters, "I don't think it's very good to talk about controversial plans here."

The droid instantly rolls itself out of the room, making sure to let her know that it's not pleased about the arrangement. She hears the lock click behind it, and looks back to her friends.

"Okay, don't write this off immediately. I really need your help."

The doubtful looks from her peers cast her into unease. _I can do this._ _I hope._

"Right, so..." She tries to find an opening statement. "Surely you've heard the legend of Thorin Plagueis."

She receives a resounding _no_ from both parties. _I can do this._

"He was a great Jedi, brother of Darth Plagueis. Surely you've heard of _him_."

Assent from Poe, but Finn still shakes his head. Poe leans over and briefly informs Finn of his identity. Finn stiffens.

"Rey... what's Kylo been getting into your head?"

"He's not been getting anything into my head! It was just a story, honest, all my idea!" Rey protests. She receives nothing but a _that's what he wants you to think_ look in return.

"Well, after Darth Plaugueis turned all Dark and basically discovered the antidote to death itself, Thorin sought something... _more_ than the Jedi and the Sith. He loved his brother very much, but the Jedi forbade him to love."

She hears Poe make a tutting sound, and hopes he's even remotely open to her idea.

"So he created the Gray Jedi. They're the balance of the balance. A perfect combination of Dark and Light. The Gray teaches apprentices to love, to embrace emotions, to control power, and to seek justice." Rey doesn't know where her words are coming from, but she keeps talking. "I... I was the one who wanted to restore the Gray. Kylo had nothing to do with it! But... can't you see? The Light is flawed. The Dark is flawed— obviously. And..." Rey takes a breath, and before she can begin again, Poe interrupts her.

"This is a complete suicide mission. Snoke, Leia, Luke... Luke'll _kill_ us."

Rey tries to look haughty as she replies steadily, "How many suicide missions have you partaken in before, then, Mr. Dameron?"

Poe falls silent.

Finn speaks up now. "But... it's _Kylo Ren_."

"I know! Unbelievable! Crazy, right?" She says sarcastically. "When on Alderaan are we going to get over the fact that—oh no— _I've sided with Kylo Ren?_ " Rey feigns a dramatic gasp. "No, Rey, say it isn't so! Well, I have, so you can come with us or stand in our way and get killed."

A pause. Poe and Finn are looking at each other, panic showing on their features.

"Impaled, probably." Rey muses. She sees Finn's eyes widen, and adds: "Yes, Finn, I'm not going to pretend Kylo didn't kill his father. But although he hasn't come out and said it, I know he regrets it. Sometimes," she admits, "I can sort of... feel his emotions. It's a side effect of being a Force user."

Finn groans. Poe looks extremely shocked. Rey waits.

Eventually, the medical droid strolls back in, announcing, "Time's up. All visitors out. Now."

Rey looks for any sign of acceptance on her friends' faces as they pick themselves up and make for the door, but she can't detect anything. It unnerves her. She hopes they have the sense not to tell Leia the minute they have the chance.

 _I tried. I'm sorry if I failed, but I tried._

She makes sure to show her hatred towards the medical droid as he prepares for another unknown procedure. The droid pays no attention, however, and Rey closes her eyes as another needle is injected to her arm and the world fades away to black.

* * *

 **A/N: And so begins Part Three! This part lasts longer than the last one (i.e. Rey and Kylo traveling across the salt flat), I hope you enjoy! Make sure to review, follow, and favorite, and if not, the next update will be out tomorrow if nothing comes up. May the Force be with you! (Is that my new sendoff?)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey, guys! Happy Monday (maybe?)! I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and if you haven't already, make sure to check out the TLJ TV spots if you're unconcerned about minor spoilers— they're awesome!**

 **Here are my responses to reviews:**

 **Anna Skywalker 15: Yes, that was the intention. But keep in mind that Kylo _did_ murder all the Padawans, go to the Dark Side, and murder her husband (amongst other things we'll probably learn about in TLJ). Thank you for pointing that out! I'm glad she's coming off that way. **

**Also, thank you to nelsonstewarta for reviewing as well! It's very uplifting to know that people are enjoying this as much as I am.**

* * *

"Force, she's raving _mad!_ " Finn cries for the world to hear as soon as they leave the hospital room. Poe's eyes widen. Secretly, he agrees, but he feels it's his job to be Rey's personal attorney against her best friend.

"What're we going to _do?_ " He shouts. Poe grabs Finn's arm and drags him into a smaller hallway, where the crowds of pilots are thinner and they can talk more freely (not that Finn's refraining).

"I don't think she's lying about it being her idea." Poe says thoughtfully. Finn obtains the _are you Forcing crazy?_ look Poe now associates with X-Wing stunts and crazy Sith Lords.

"Look, I'm not saying it's her best idea, but she's obviously not backing down from it— I mean... when has she ever backed down from anything?" Poe rants.

"What're you saying?" Finn asks suspiciously.

"What I'm _saying_ , Finn, is that we've got to help her, or she won't get very far. Keep Ren in check, you know? It might be... fun." Poe says.

Finn boggles. "You can't possibly be...?"

Poe nods. "For reasons I've stated before. _Think_ about it, Finn. We've got to help... somehow."

Finn shakes his head, looking down. "I can't be a team with... him."

"You were before," Poe replies.

"But I ran away."

"You ain't running this time. Maybe he's changed." Poe theorizes.

"I doubt it."

"Rey tends to have that effect on people." Poe says slyly.

Finn looks back up.

"You think it'd work?"

"With us, it would."

A slow smile spreads across his face. Poe grins back. _Yes!_

"We're going to do this."

"Yeah?"

They're both taken back to that day on the Star Destroyer, their brief exchanges, the sense of fun and danger.

"Ugh, we're absolutely crazy to be attempting this." Finn sighs.

Poe nods. Finn seems to reach an end to his mental conflict, and returns the gesture.

Then the two of them slip back into the crowd, unnoticed.

For now.

* * *

Kylo wonders when Rey's coming back. It's hard to keep track of time when you're stuck in an empty cell with no clock or other indicator of the passing hours. Even the _guards_ are in a totally different section of the detention block, a sure sign the Resistance knows Kylo's a force to be reckoned with.

When no one (not even the messenger) comes, he checks for an escape route, even though he knows he has no intention of escaping at the moment. When he finds none, he sits back down and tries not to think about the pure insanity of his current position.

He is willingly leaving the Dark Side, starting a new organization with his previously sworn enemy, and rotting in a Resistance cell, waiting to be rescued— by said sworn enemy. The entire situation is so confusing and demeaning Kylo wishes he could just board a ship and disappear to the Outer Rim. But he knows it's very impossible, especially because he's willingly put himself in this position. He _helped_ the Scavenger.

Footsteps.

Kylo lifts his head, waiting. _Is it Rey, or the messenger?_

It may be his imagination, but whoever it is is moving rather quickly.

He hopes it's Rey bringing good news.

No, it's the messenger, holding his usual rations, and...

 _What on Alderaan is_ that?

The door opens for a fraction of a second, and the messenger drops the tray roughly for Kylo to use, scurrying away immediately after with no time for the usual interrogation.

"Hey! What's that?" He shouts after the retreating figure, even if he knows he can't hear. Sighing, Kylo strides over and picks up the tray. It's slightly dented from the trip to the hard floor.

The new object is a fistsize block of salt. It's just like any other you'd see on Crait, but it's been smoothed out, almost polished. There is no note, or any other indication of its purpose. Force, it could've even been a mistake.

 _It's salt. What...?_

Maybe the messenger added it as a small act of kindness to make the rations taste better. Whatever the case, Kylo's very grateful for the change, however small.

He takes the dulled knife and slices a small portion of salt off the block. He sprinkles it over the mysterious ration, glancing back at the block, when—

 _Something's sticking out of it._

Uneasily, Kylo picks the block up again, and tries to pull the object out.

It takes quite a few careful tugs before it gives.

It's a piece of paper.

Hands shaking, he unfurls it, wondering what on Alderaan it could possibly say.

It's a rather large piece of parchment for such a small message: only two words have been scribbled hastily on it, and nothing more.

 _We're in._

* * *

Rey's just waking up from the procedure on her arm when a sudden and unprecedented feeling of pure elation comes over her. She gasps loudly, startling the medical droid and herself equally. She slaps a hand over her mouth, hoping she didn't earn herself another measure of security— the binders are quite enough.

Kylo's trial is in four days. Rey knows they have to get out soon, but according to the medical droid, she still needs at least ninety hours to recover.

 _That's cutting it really,_ really _tight._

 _At least Kylo's happy._ Rey doesn't know why, or if he's gone absolutely nuts, but it's better than the pessimistic point of view she usually receives from him.

Another medical droid, this one made to look a bit nicer, rolls up with Rey's rations. Today she gets a bowl of soup (although Rey suspects it's just a watered down version of what they have daily anyway), a spoon, and a hastily folded napkin. Rey smiles when she sees the spoon: she doesn't know what she'd do if she didn't know how to use it.

She knows her least favorite droid is watching her every move, so she undoes the napkin as if she's done it her whole life. She's only guessing the purpose— she never got luxuries such as napkins on Jakku.

To her surprise, there's something written on it.

 _We're in._

She clears her throat loudly and turns the napkin over, hoping the medical droid didn't detect any change in her behavior.

Inwardly, though? She's cheering.

* * *

It's hours before anything else happens, but Kylo's mind is reeling.

 _She did it! What did she say to them? When do we leave? Is she okay?_ Can _we leave?_

He doubts it.

Kylo paces restlessly, waiting for something to happen, wanting something to happen. Eventually, he hears the relieving sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Kylo straightens himself up, waiting for her to arrive.

Her previously pale face is glowing. She reminds Kylo of a princess of Naboo who's never skipped a meal in her life, not the hospitalized scavenger that she is. The only things distorting the sudden image are her arm cord (of which Kylo's still not fully discovered the purpose), and her handcuffs.

 _Wait... they_ cuffed _her?!_

 _That's not right._

Clumsily, Rey extends her index finger and enters the code without any of Kylo's assistance. She punches her fist (and subsequently her other arm) in the air when it works, and the door slides to let her in.

"Did you hear the news?" She cries ecstatically.

"Yeah!" He replies, excitement getting the best of him. "I can't believe it— they didn't seem like they were going for it, did they?"

"No! Not at all!" She gasps. "Ah, this is so wonderful! _Force!_ Okay, we need to come up with a solid plan." She announces.

"Yeah, Finn and Poe'll want to do that. I can't think of an activity more appealing." Kylo snorts.

"We don't have to do it all in one place. I understand the tension. I can feel it," she says peacefully, extending her fingertips to reiterate.

"That's a start, I guess." Kylo admits. Rey smiles, although Kylo didn't intend it as a compliment.

"Finally, we've gotten something done in this dump." Rey replies cheerfully, glancing around at Kylo's cell. "I think we should choose a Resistance ship we're all comfortable on. You know, not too big— we don't want to hurt the Resistance that much— and not too small— we don't need fistfights between you and my friends." Rey suggests logically.

"The Falcon." Kylo says automatically.

Rey whips around to face him. "You're serious? Doesn't it hinder... bad memories or whatever? You were telling the story of Han screaming at you in that very ship not a week ago."

He shrugs. "It's best for the mission. There's going to be, what, four of us, right?"

"Five, counting BB-8." Rey returns.

"Sure. Well, there's a bunk room off the main corridor Finn and Poe can use—"

"You can sleep there too, you know. They won't kill you in your sleep."

 _You don't know that._

"Well, I'm not going to, whatever the case. There's a bunk in the main room, and another one Han established above the main piloting area. It's sort of like the ones above those strange transport ships you see sometimes that fly across the galaxy to make deliveries." Kylo explains.

"If you're certain it exists, sure, then," Rey allows. "When should we get out?"

Kylo frowns— he hasn't thought of this in great detail. Finally, he asks, "When did the med droid say you were going to be released?"

She frowns. "Four days. I think." Glancing at her arm, she adds, "Do you think that's accurate?"

"It'd better be." Kylo replies. "That's the day of my trial. We're cutting it close. _Super_ close."

"Well, If I hadn't disconnected my lifeline so early in the process to visit you, it would've probably been earlier, but—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Kylo's already assumed that much.

"Do you think communicating using telepathy is dangerous, given that Luke and Snoke are aware that we can?" She inquires next.

"Definitely. It should be avoided at all costs, especially with classified information." Kylo confirms.

"Shouldn't Luke be here by now?" Rey questions.

"I wouldn't know."

She sighs, sitting on the hard bunk Kylo's still not gotten used to.

"Do you see these?" She's gesturing to her binders. "They _cuffed_ me. Their most valued Force user. The one who's supposed to save them all. This is why I want to get away. I thought they'd be... _different_ , somehow... but they're just another group who wants to use me for my skills. Powers, even, at this point. First it was Unkar Plutt, who wanted me for my ability to tell a good compressor from a bad one, then the First Order, for my supposed Force powers, and now the Resistance. The Forcing _Resistance_. The only place I thought was _safe_ from all that." She says bitterly. Kylo thinks he can detect the hurt in her voice, especially from the way that it trembled on _safe._

" _Safe_ is an interesting word." Rey continues. "It has many meanings, you know. Ironically, most of them are used in the negative: 'this place isn't safe.' 'We need to break into that safe.' Not once, not even for a _second_ , did I think Jakku was safe. Not ever. That's why I loved here. It's filled to the brim with happy, innocent people who think they're working for a good cause, when actually, they're murdering just as many people as the First Order is."

Kylo finds himself dumbfounded by this statement. Rey's playing with her arm cord again, a task that's proving difficult with her cuffs. He doesn't think she's aware of the great wisdom that was cast from her statement. He hears her foot tapping aimlessly on the scratched metal floor, sees her looking out the cell door and into the hall, obviously bored.

"Dis you hear that?" She suddenly asks, her tone of voice one vastly different from the one she used just seconds ago.

"Did I hear what?" Kylo asks, following her lead in ignoring the past conversation.

"Footsteps."

 _Force, what?_

Kylo hurriedly glances to Rey's feet, but they're unmoving. The footfalls he'd heard are coming from someone else.

 _Oh, Force, it's too late!_

His eyes meet Rey's, and he knows his look of panic must mirror hers. She springs from the bed, and rapidly glances from object to object in the room, looking for someplace to hide. But based off of her bad posture and her cuffs hanging at her side, Kylo knows she's already given up. She turns back around just in time to witness the party enter the room. There's a pause as the two groups look over each other. Finally, a throaty and somehow familiar voice breaks the silence.

" _Traitor!_ "

* * *

 **A/N: Aahh! I know! Another cliffhanger! But since I've been pretty regular with posting in the past, I see no reason for that to change now. Monday's over, guys! Yay! Make sure to follow, favorite, and review if you enjoyed, and I'll see you soon! May the Force be with you!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello all! So, we're making excellent time in terms of my self-set deadline. I've only got maybe five chapters planned out, though I may extend them if I can. Thank you to all of my followers, favoriters (not a word) and most importantly, reviewers. Happy reading!**

* * *

Rey now has a constant guard over her room, as well as an additional medical droid to watch her every move, an obvious precaution after her latest adventure. She's decided against visiting Kylo again— she thinks they have enough information to communicate through Finn and Poe now. Besides, the security of her hospital room has usurped that of even Kylo's.

The procedures the head medical droid does on her arm and other various parts of her body are almost constant. It's hard for Rey to think through the sometimes blinding pain.

She loses track of time, but when the med droid informs her that it's been ten hours since her capture, she has no choice but to believe it, despite having previous altercations with it. When it offers her water for the first time in hours, she gratefully accepts it, and gulps it down with purpose. When she finishes, the medical droid informs her that she is to have a particularly heinous surgical procedure on her back.

"You will have to lie completely still for the procedure, Miss, or something could go very wrong."

Rey makes sure to glare daggers at the droid before responding. "I won't be able to. Surely you should know that, after performing numerous procedures on my arms and head. What'll it be doing, anyway?"

"Relocating your spine."

She cringes at the name. "That's terrible."

"It has to be done, Miss."

 _I doubt I would've noticed my spine was Forced up in the first place if you hadn't._

Before she knows what she's saying, she mutters, "Fine. But I recommend you drug me first, or that 'very wrong' incident will be on _your_ record."

She feels a needle being injected to her arm, and welcomes the black.

* * *

 _It's sunset on Jakku, not unlike most sunsets on the desolate planet. Two figures disrupt the pink and orange light, and nothing more. One's taller than the other, but is hunched over something. Rey rushes to join them._

 _She's nearly five feet from them before she truly sees who they are._

Snoke and Luke! Force! What're they doing on _Jakku,_ of all places?

 _"You believe this was hers?"_

 _"I know it was." Luke replies._

 _Rey peeks over his shoulder, accepting the strange reality that neither masters seem to see, or even sense her. They're holding up her Rebel pilot doll, something Rey remembers crafting herself when she had just arrived on the desert planet._

 _"And you're sure she'd come back to it? With Kylo Ren, my apprentice, in tow? Unlikely." Snoke snarls._

 _"Not according to her old owner, Plutt. He seemed to think that she'd come back with the Falcon and apologize or something. I can't be sure, though— he talks strangely." Luke says._

Unkar Plutt said that? He couldn't be more wrong.

 _"I think you're starting to lose your credibility, Skywalker."_

 _Luke throws a hand to his chest. "_ Me? _"_

 _"I don't see any other inversely credible Skywalkers around here, do you?"_

Ah, Luke, you'd better get out of there quick.

 _"Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Next, I think we should go to Crait—"_

No!

 _"That old Kyber mine? Not a chance. I specifically told my apprentice to stay away from that planet—"_

 _"Can't you just trust me for a standard day, Snoke? They're there. I can sense it this time."_

 _"You thought you could sense them here when you convinced me to come to this junkyard in the first place!" Snoke roars. Luke begins to back up slowly, though their ship seems to be in the opposite direction._

Please don't go to Crait! We have enough problems as it is without _you_ showing up.

 _"Skywalker, I know of your plans. I am aware that there is a Resistance base on the planet you speak of, and plan to eliminate it, but finding my apprentice has proved more pressing. You will not tempt me to fall into your trap!" Snoke cries maniacally. Rey cringes._ What a nutcase.

 _But Luke keeps his cool, somehow. "If that's how you want it, then, I suppose our alliance must end."_

 _Snoke smiles evilly, and Rey swears she can see Luke twitch slightly, however microscopic. "So be it." Snoke concludes. Despite his ancient features, he strides to his ship with surprising ease. Luke follows, and Rey notices his hand clench on his Lightsaber as he draws near his newfound enemy._

 _"Don't think this is the end, Snoke."_

 _"Quite the opposite, Skywalker. I think this may just be the beginning."_

 _The ramp to the transport begins to close slowly, steam rising from the metallic joints straining. Snoke's grotesque features curve into a laugh once more as he utters five deadly words:_

 _"See you on Crait, Skywalker."_

 _Rey screams._

* * *

"Procedure completed." The medical droid hovers over Rey, causing her vision to double. She nods sleepily.

"Yeah... great. Thanks."

"Are you feeling okay, Miss?" The droid asks, clearly surprised about her lack of hostility.

"Ah, no, not really." Rey replies honestly.

"Was it because of the procedure?"

"No, no. Not at all. Just...just a strange dream."

"Do you need more pain medication? Because—"

"No, thanks."

"Is there anything I could do for you? Anything at all?" The droid inquires, obviously feeling inclined to repay the act of kindness.

"Well, actually, now that you mention it... you _could_ ask Finn and Poe to come in here." Rey allows.

* * *

"How could they even be a team in the _first_ place?" Poe cries frantically, when the two friends have left the hospital room.

"I dunno, but it's not good. ' _See you on Crait_ '? Could you think of _anything_ more ominous? Oh, Force, Poe, what do we _do?_ We've got to warn someone— but then they'll ask how we know, and we can't do that to Rey..."

Poe hurriedly shoves Finn into a maintenance elevator, punches a few buttons, and cringes as the lift drops without warning, sending him crashing into the wall.

"They must really care about their Force users to do such a thing." Finn notes. Poe can only nod: he's soaked in sweat.

"Hey, where're we going, anyway?" Finn inquires after another moment of silence.

"We're going where Rey told us to go. Kylo needs to know, if he's really helping us now." The words sound hard for Poe to get out.

Finn chokes on air. "I don't think I'm going to be able to _look_ at the Nerfherder, let alone have a civilized conversation with him."

Poe shrugs. "The guards'll only give us five minutes, anyway. It won't seem like long. We've got to do this. For Rey."

Silence. Poe glances over to Finn, who's pointedly staring down the elevator buttons.

"Besides, we're going to be spending _months_ with the guy. We've got to start somewhere." Poe says confidently. "How's this for an opening statement: 'Hey, Kylo! So, we're not in here for small talk because, you know, _we don't Forcing like you,_ but Rey wanted us to tell you that Luke and Snoke have broken up their alliance and are coming to attack us. Thanks, bye!'"

Finn's now laughing at the elevator buttons, though he still tries to hide it. Poe grins.

The elevator comes to the detention block at a screeching halt. It takes all of Poe's willpower not to crash to the floor, and Finn looks the same way. Poe gathers himself back up again after he's sure the elevator isn't moving anywhere in the near future, and steps out with as much pride as he can muster, Finn right behind. They stride down the hallway with purpose, Poe's head turning only to nod at various guards and pilots along the way.

Eventually, they stop at the only occupied cell, one heavily guarded after Rey's most recent escapade.

"Now, remember, we've got to do this with authority. They're going to suspect us if we don't have a logical reason." Poe says nervously, glancing around for onlookers.

"We could be informants for the trial. Oh, Force, I can't believe we're _doing_ this!" Finn exclaims.

"Informants. Right." Poe chooses to ignore the second part of Finn's reply.

 _I am now an informant for Ren's trial. That is my job. Nothing more._

 _Oh, hello, Dameron._

Poe yelps with surprise, causing Finn to jump behind him. _Force, not again! It_ can't _be happening again. How can Ren get into my head so easily?_

He marches up to a guard, says, "We're informants for Ren's upcoming trial," and suddenly, they're in. The guard reminds them that they only have five minutes, but Poe knows that's all they'll need.

He needs to pull Finn inside of the cell with him, and Poe's only left to wonder what the guards think of the situation. When the door finally closes (and Finn lets out an almost undetectable whimper), Poe turns to face the Dark Knight.

"Rey made us come here!" Finn shouts, before Poe can get anything out. Ren looks up, the shadow of a smirk on his scarred face.

"Of course she did. I'd hardly think you're here for your health." Ren says thinly. "What did she want you to tell me?"

Poe's only heard his real voice twice before recently— and both times, they were in his mind. He's disappointed to find that he recognizes it from the one in his head. _So I_ wasn't _imagining_ _it._

Poe's surprised Ren hasn't attacked the both of them yet— after all, they've got to be numbers one and two on his Most Wanted list. However, he seems to be strangely calm. It offsets Poe more than an outright attack would've.

Poe forces his expression to neutralize, and wishes he could tell Finn to do the same— he wants to send a message of alliance. We're going to be sharing a ship in a few days, anyway.

"She...she had a procedure." Poe decides to break it to him slowly, to avoid any unnecessary violence. He's still unsure to how major the news is, and wonders how Ren will perceive it.

"Go on." Ren prompts when silence occurs.

"Right. Um... she had a vision during the procedure." Poe continues, deciding the word _vision_ sounds more accurate in the situation, rather than the dream Rey described it as.

Ren sits forward, his head rested on his folded hands. His dark eyes scan over Poe, making him shift uncomfortably. Poe doesn't know how to put Rey's message into words. Her exact words were, _Snoke and Luke— Poe, they broke up! They're coming. Snoke's going to destroy the base, Luke's going to destroy our plan, and Snoke's going to destroy the base_ and _our plan! He'll capture us, he'll torture us— okay, wait, I need you to tell Kylo that, okay? Tell him they're on Jakku but are advancing fast._

"I can always read your mind, but I can't say it'll be the most enjoyable experience." Ren offers when more silence ensues. Poe hears a faint "No!" in Finn's direction, and sighs.

"Fine. What else's there to say?" He shrugs, pretending to act unconcerned. "Snoke and Luke broke up, and they're on their way here." Poe explains, mentally butchering Rey's tale to deliver a more suitable message. He hopes Ren gets the picture and lets them out.

Ren stands up abruptly from his bed, his already pale face paler. He advances towards Poe, and Poe thinks he's going to hit him, but Ren falls short about two feet.

"You're serious?" He asks, a newfound tremor in his normally steady voice.

"Well, that's what she said, I wouldn't—"

"You have to warn someone! This could destroy the entire base in mere _hours!_ " He shouts, before quickly receding to a calmer expression when the guards look their way.

"Wait? I'm confused. Why did Snoke and Luke form together in the first place? Why—" Poe starts, but Ren's not listening.

"Your questions aren't my top priority, Dameron, shocking as it may be. _Listen to me_. You need to get someone and warn them that Snoke's coming. Do you hear me?" Ren's never looked more solemn in his life, and Poe realizes he's actually serious in helping them escape. It's not one big ploy.

Finn's already motioning to the guards to let them out, and Poe turns to leave, relieved it's over. But before he can, a hand grabs his shoulder. He spins around, alarmed.

Ren's face is unreadable.

"Is she okay?"

Poe's stomach does a double-turn as he realizes who he's talking about.

"She's fine. Trust me," he replies, trying to keep a straight face. Ren nods and lets go of him, turning back around to resume sitting on the bed, Poe guesses.

But as the cell door closes, as they remove themselves from the gathering of pilots asking about the Dark Knight, and Finn begins praising Poe on his bravery, Poe's mind is spinning.

He now knows why Ren joined the Gray Jedi, too, and it's not unlike the very reason he and Finn did in the first place.

The thought that he's somehow found something in common with the Nerfherder is enough to make Poe smile despite himself, and despite and the sense of impending doom Rey's message has set. Finn smiles back, though Poe doubts it's for the same reason.

"We've got to find the General."

* * *

 **A/N: Ta-daaa! So, I've been struggling with some writers' block, so if I don't post tomorrow it's just because I haven't written enough to provide a substantial chapter. Sorry about that. It's a really intense part of the story, so I'm trying to do it right. Please leave a review if you can, and may the Force be with you!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N Hey, guys. I called in sick today, so I had plenty of time to write although I felt like a piece of Nerfherder waste, so here it is! Only a few more chapters remaining! After this, I'll try my best to work on another fanfiction before TLJ is released, though I doubt I'll make it in time. But after TLJ comes out, you can expect fanfictions to come out like a hailstorm. I'll describe my idea/draft for the latest one at the bottom, but until then, please enjoy!**

* * *

 **Continued from the previous chapter...**

Finn's grin slides off of his face and shatters to the floor when Poe speaks again. He's not looking forward to being the one to tell her that a great Sith Lord not only knows their location, but is coming to attack at that very moment.

Of course, she's probably heard worse.

Poe once again leads the way as they charge through the halls, greeting the occasional officer with a "May the Force be with you!" and narrowly missing the small vacuum droids that always manage to get underfoot.

"There she is!" Poe whisper-shouts to his friend. He's pointing to a strong, imposing woman who's pointing out plots on a galactic map to Admiral Ackbar. "You have to tell her this time— I dealt with Ren back there."

Finn's stomach drops. _First Ren, and now Ren's_ mother _. What a day this is turning out to be._

Finn had noticed particularly when Ren didn't mention his mother by name, but obviously intended for that to be the one they sought out and warned. As much as he tries not to sympathize with the guy, Finn knows it must be a new definition of suspense waiting for the wife to his dead father to show up with the torture weapons. He vaguely remembers an experience like that back in the First Order, one when his aim wasn't accurate, or he was underweight, or something beyond his control (that the First Order twisted to make seem like it was), and their solution was to strap him to an electric chair and have just-under-deadly amounts of electricity fix his problems, or worse— haul in Ren himself. He shudders at the unpleasant memories.

"Go, you big Nerfherder!" Poe says good-naturedly, shoving Finn into the planning room. Ackbar looks up, his expression impossible to read. Leia follows his lead and stares at Finn as if he's one of those salt creatures he's seen running all over the place. He blushes despite himself. _I need to get more used to talking to leaders. Stormtroopers were never expected to. I need to start._

He puts on a false smile, and strides up to the platform on which Leia stands. She puts her hands on her hips, giving him the stare he knows all too well.

"What is it, Finn?" She asks tiredly, as if nothing Finn says will worsen her day. _We'll see about that,_ he thinks grimly.

"Um, well... we're going to need to prepare for battle, General."

Ignoring Ackbar's loud, rude cough behind her, the General only exhales slowly. "Finn, you know we can't just send all of our pilots out there because you said something, for Vader's sake..." She closes her eyes, hands on her temple. "Finn, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

He stiffens. _I have to do this._ "General, I'm happy to do as you asked, it's just— Snoke. He's coming." Feeling as if his job is done, he turns to leave.

"Not so fast, Finn. You say _Snoke's_ coming? Why? Is it... is it for our prisoner?"

Finn forces his neck muscles to nod. "More or less. It's a very, _very_ long story, General, and we should probably get started."

She blinks hard, as if waking herself back up again. "Right. Admiral, go oversee preparations. We need to be ready for this supposed attack on all fronts. You," she says, pointing to a low-ranked Resistance member, "you're the one who's been delivering his rations, correct?"

"Y-yes, General."

"Make sure he's alright, and inform him of the situation. We don't want anyone left in the dark about this. Finn, I assume I'm going to get the full story on this later?"

"Of course, General." Finn replies, hoping he'll have the chance before he leaves with his friends.

Suddenly, he remembers something.

"General... what about the trial?"

She sighs, pressing a few buttons and changing the map from one of the galaxy to one of Crait, complete with a miniature crater where Rey and Ren had been imprisoned.

"We'll hold the trial no matter what." She decides. "It needs to be done, especially if Snoke's coming."

And before Finn can say anything, she's gone in a sweep of her robes, a distant image by the time he sees her again. An alarm begins to blare, and after Finn rushes back to Poe, who gives him a winning smile, the two slip back into the now crowded halls, now crowded with talkative pilots.

"Do you think we're going to be ready in time?" Finn shouts over the noise.

"Of course not. But we'll manage!" Poe cries back.

 _That's the Resistance for you._

* * *

One moment, the guards were discussing when the floor was next going to be polished. The next, they were fleeing like Stormtroopers after a battle, not one single guard checking Kylo's cell to make sure he was alive. The only logical conclusion he manages to come to is that Dameron has told someone about Snoke. _Thank the Force._

It's strange to have allies in a place like this. This is a place where any of the guards at any given time would've paid money to be the one to behead him, when he didn't have any allies in a the First Order, a place where they would've paid money to be the one to not.

Ten minutes after the initial departure, his old friend the messenger approaches his cell, obviously flustered. He enters the code incorrectly a few times before finally getting it correct, and steps inside hesitantly.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, or not?" He asks the trembling messenger when no words surface (although he looks to be making a valiant attempt to make them).

"Y-your Master. He's coming. Here. For you!" He cries, clutching his tiny little hat.

"He's not my master. Not anymore. Listen, I know you can't take orders from me, and I don't blame you, but Snoke's a big force to be reckoned with. He's not going to respond to casualties on any side. The only thing he's going to respond to is inevitable surrender." He says urgently. "No one's going to believe me, but I want your side to win. Do as I say, and less people will get hurt. Do you understand me?"

The messenger stands petrified for a few seconds, nods, and dashes out the door.

"Hey, wait! You forgot— ah, never mind," Kylo mutters. The messenger's forgotten to close his cell door, an obstacle which could've been easily overcome if he'd been set on escape, but he decides that since there's general chaos occurring outside, no one would notice if he takes a purposeful walk outside for a bit. _Most of them don't even know what I look like without my mask on. It'll be fine._

* * *

" _Rey!_ "

Kylo's just bursted through the main medical corridor, seen not even a trace of a human Resistance member, and was only alerted of her location by the numerous medical droids flocking to one particular door. He's thrown open the door, waiting for blaster bolts, but none have occurred.

Instead, about ten medical droids are clustered around a small cot that's been pushed hastily to a corner, a slightly banged-up and dented (but somehow wise-looking) droid ordering them around. And lying on that cot, surrounded by various bandages and surgical tools, is Rey.

The head droid seems to recognize him, somehow. It motions for him to come over, which proves difficult as every other droid is keen on ignoring him as much as possible. But Kylo's mind is on other things than droid hostility: _I thought Poe said she'd already had her main procedures done._

"What's going on?" He asks, ignoring the murmurs from the other droids: "That's Kylo Ren, isn't it?" "It can't be."

The medical droid's wiping a cold cloth over her head. "She said ' _he's here_ ,' and passed out, Sir, I don't really know what to make of it."

"Snoke!" Kylo breathes.

"Who's Snoke?" The droid inquires in a monotone.

"Never mind that. Can you heal her?"

The droid pauses in wiping the cloth, apparently lost in thought (or maybe malfunctioning, Kylo thinks).

"She's fine, in terms of _physical_ health. But _mentally_ , she's unresponsive. Us medical droids can only heal what's here..." the droid gestures to its chunky core, "...not _here_." It points to its head, or more... where its brain would be. Kylo swallows.

Suddenly, the hospital door bangs open and a weathered old man barges through the crowd of med droids. Kylo's eyes widen: he never expected to see him again. _Ever_.

Luke Skywalker is laying at Rey's bedside now, politely pretending Kylo doesn't exist (something Kylo's eternally grateful for). His head is bowed, his hand is on her forehead, and the cloth is nowhere to be seen. The efforts the medical droid was trying, Kylo figures, were likely pointless.

Skywalker closes his eyes, breathing through his nose, and exhaling through his mouth. Kylo can feel the Force congregating to him, filling him. It's flowing through his veins, into his extended hand, and into Rey, Kylo realizes. He watches as her breathing eases, as her head leans back on the bed a bit more. It's several minutes before further change takes place, and Kylo wonders whether or not to question Luke's process or not. He decides on _not_.

Eventually, her eyelids crack open slightly, before closing, blinking hard, then opening fully again. Luke's still bent over her, watching her, analyzing her. Kylo wonders if it makes her as uncomfortable as he would be in her position.

"Master Luke?!" She croaks.

He doesn't respond right away, glancing around the room furtively. Kylo doesn't meet his eyes when the old master drinks in his side of the room.

"I have to go fight." He grumbles.

Rey's head manages a nod, and Luke bows his head once again, pulls his hood over his face, and turns to leave.

 _I should say something._

"Hey... Skywalker?" He asks uneasily.

Luke half turns.

"Thanks." Kylo manages.

The old Jedi master doesn't respond in an audible tone, but Kylo can feel the words vibrating through the air as if he does.

 _You're welcome, Ben._

* * *

 **A/N: Apologies again for the short chapter. Please remember to follow, favorite, and/or review if you enjoyed and let me know what I need to improve on if you didn't!**

 **As for the new fanfic, I'm calling it The Will Of Han (or The Will on the main page so I don't get in trouble for spoilers), and the general idea is if Han left a sudden and compulsive will just before he left for Starkiller. Let me know what you think of this idea by PMing me (I don't think it'd be good to post it as a review), and I'll see you soon! Once again, if I don't post it's because I don't have enough material and/or am too sick to post.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Well, I'm back. Still sick, but I didn't stay home today, so that's a start. I was super busy today, though, so I'm sorry if this chapter is disappointing in terms of length. However, today I decided to incorporate a flashback/memory! Kind of morose, but I hope you like it anyway.** **This chapter is super, super short, but a longer chapter should be out tomorrow (I hope). Please remember to review, follow, and favorite, and happy reading!**

* * *

 _"Ben?"_

 _The boy turns around coldly. There's so much malice in his eyes. His black hair is about shoulder-length, but is back in a tight knot. Though it's night, his dark clothes, either very deep brown or black, are apparent in their color. Fire dances around the two men, with only a few large rocks scattered around._

 _The older of the pair steps forward. His eyes are kinder, but also icy as he stares down the boy. His opponent must be around the age of… fourteen? Fifteen? However old, it's much too young to have an expression of such hatred on one's face. The elder of them seems to know this._

 _"What on Tatooine… what did you_ do _, Ben?"_

 _Upon closer inspection, the rocks can be identified as not rocks but bodies, bodies brutally killed in an act of treason and pure evil._

 _The boy doesn't respond. Instead, he asks a question of his own._

 _"Where's Rey?"_

 _The old man almost smiles. His eyes glisten with tears, the fire reflecting almost perfectly in each one._

 _"Someplace you will never find her, Ben. She's a scavenger now, on a planet you'll neither know nor hear the name of, safe from this galaxy at war once again. If you were in a better state of mind, Ben, I'm sure you'd find it in your heart that that's what you want for her, too."_

 _Ben's gaze lowers, and he stops glowering at the man for a split second. The old man sighs. This was never the fate he'd wanted for his nephew, and yet, there he is. They stand in silence, weapons still unignited._

 _A ship of great scale can be heard landing on the far side of the island. Ben looks up, his eyes now glittering with excitement— or maybe fear. He gives the old Jedi Master one last look before charging down the steep slope to unite with his new leader. Luke bows his head, mourning the lives lost that night— and to his own nephew, no less. He has no plans of retrieving Rey from her dusty new home on Jakku for a very long time: not at least until his new enemy has been defeated. He only hopes she has enough sense to stay where she is._

* * *

"Ow!"

Rey's stomach drops. Someone's carrying her, their hard hands clasped around her in a protective manner. _Kylo?_ No, he's beside her, scolding someone harshly. She looks up to see the main med droid clutching her to its side. Her eyes widen— _how could it be so gentle?_ — but she says nothing.

It's then that she realizes that the person Kylo was scolding was the med droid, and the reason for it was likely the same reason she woke in the first place.

" _He's here!_ " She suddenly cries, remembering the terrifyingly close-up image of Snoke she'd received violently in her mind... how long ago? She can't be sure. She assumes it knocked her out as well, as does most of these Force-related things. She looks urgently to Kylo, who stares back at her with a surprisingly unwavering gaze, considering the situation. The medical droid doesn't show any signs of slowing down in its steady, but mechanically jolting stride at her words.

"It's okay. We know, the droid told us everything. Luke's out there right now, fighting him." When Kylo says this, he reminds her shockingly of Poe, who seems to take it upon himself to reassure people of the situation, what's being done to help it, and possible ways of rescue should the situation became dire.

She blinks hard. "Then why are we going downstairs? We need to help!"

The medical droid and Kylo exchange glances. _What's going on?_

"Well... technically, Skywalker sent an order to get you to the emergency bunkers when he saw you. That's where we're headed now." The droid says shiftily. _Can a droid be shifty?_

"But... Master Luke surely would've seen Kylo, then, unless it was an amazing coincidence." Rey gasps.

Kylo shakes his head nervously. The droid's joints creak as its head turns to stare at him.

"He... yeah, pretty much. He saw me. He's the reason for this," he says, holding up his hands for the first time. They're in binders, and they're way tighter than Rey's had been: around the areas where skin touches metal, his flesh is white with lack of blood. As if by instinct, Rey holds up her own tightly cuffed hands— except they're not there anymore. Her hands are free, altered only by distant pink shadows where the binders used to be.

"Yeah, they're the same." He confirms. "J-294 tied them pretty tight to make them convincing."

" _Who?_ "

"Me." The med droid says in a monotone. "That's my name."

Rey's gaze returns to Kylo, making sure he receives her _he told you his name?_ look. He shrugs sheepishly.

"Where're you headed, then, after this?" Rey questions.

"I'm going to help Skywalker fight. He's going to need it, even though he told me to go to the detention cell after I dropped you off." He returns casually.

"And me?" Rey repeats, hoping somehow that the answer would change.

"I already told you. The emergency bunker. Skywalker's orders."

Her heart drops. She still can't believe it.

"Wait... I'm not going to be fighting with you and Luke? I can fight!" She protests loudly, earning a few double takes from passing pilots.

"It's too dangerous! I understand why he did it: you're still his Padawan. Technically." Kylo defends.

"Not for long," Rey says darkly. "I'm fighting."

"No, you're not." Kylo and J2 say in unison.

Rey jumps from J2's arms determinedly, marveling at how her legs manage to bear her weight. It's a long time since she's been up.

Placing her freed hands on her hips, she stands in the way of the two.

"I can fight. I _will_ fight." She declares.

As if agreeing with her, the ceiling shakes and sheds white dust, a spiderweb of cracks stemming from the impact point. _It'll give soon._

Kylo huffs, obviously still not even in partial agreement. J2 places a platter-sized hand on the crack, clearly trying to stall the collapse. Rey looks unblinkingly to Kylo, hoping against hope...

"Fine! _Fine_. Can we please go?" He gives after another tense minute. "J2, get these blasted things off of me."

Rey laughs with pure relief. She scrambles past the helpful medical droid and away from the crack (which seems to be spreading at an alarming rate), watching as J2 cuts off Kylo's binders and gives him a respectful nod.

 _I wonder how those two got so close._

Kylo catches up to her as soon as J2 gets done, and Rey notices he's holding a small package about the size of J2's head. She opens her mouth to ask what it is, but closes it again when a large crowd of pilots dash through, cutting between them.

"If Snoke's really here, we should just take those two troublemaking Force users someplace else, you know, Wedge? Honestly."

"Well, I get that, but I'm sure they'll want to complete the trial before anything else happens, you know?"

"Ah, I just wish they'd hold their trial someplace else. Those Force users are more trouble than they're worth, I tell you."

"Hey, wasn't that just them?" Wedge replies.

Kylo's eyes widen, and he grabs Rey's shoulder and sprints behind a corner. Rey mumbles something in protest, but it's soon forgotten when the walls quake under the rage of the great Sith.

"Okay, listen up. The plan is to defend this place, to not get captured, and defeat Snoke— if we can. Surrender or retreat is fine for the purpose of today, but defeat is most certainly preferred. My trial is technically supposed to be in, like, three hours, but we should be able to steal the Falcon and get out by then." Kylo explains, his eyes wide and darting around frantically. Rey wonders if she should worry, too, but decides to resume her role once more as the optimist, just as she did in Dead Man's Crater.

"Sounds good!" She says happily, choosing to ignore the doom-like tone she knows he purposefully used. "Let's go!"

And she proudly strides back into the hallway, with a startled Kylo in tow. Seeing as she has no idea how to exit such a place, he only offers a "go right" or "make a left" occasionally, otherwise taking the time to glare at the floor.

They arrive at a massive hangar, with a ceiling that must be ten stories high, and an enormous door leading to the salt flat just as tall.

X-Wings fill up about a third of the space, with pilots frantically running to and fro, loading supplies. She thinks she sees Poe, but could be wrong. Rey takes a moment to appreciate the sheer scale of the place, but Kylo points out the rapidly-closing hangar door to a cloud of dust that's just translucent enough to show two figures locked in combat.

"Last call to get to Snoke!" Kylo cries, grabbing Rey's hand ("Let _go_ of me!") and charging towards the door. But as they advance, Rey knows they're not going to make it. They're ten feet away, and the door is almost shut— it's got maybe a yard to go. They somehow gain speed, running faster than Rey can even believe, towards the nearly two-feet-high opening. Kylo yanks her down, sliding under the crack before Rey can protest.

It's not like he makes it look easy, either: she can hear his "Oh, _Force!_ " when he nearly doesn't make it even over the noise of the door closing. She loses hope.

 _I can't do this!_

 _Yes, you can._

Rey glances to the hangar, now filled with people yelling at her at the top of their lungs, telling her to stop, to get back to the bunker, to let Master Skywalker do all the work. They likely don't know about Kylo's escape yet. She comes to a decision.

She spins around, flattening herself as much as possible, and rolls as rapidly as she can muster. She winces as a few stray hairs get caught under the door, but otherwise... she's unhurt. She sees Kylo peering down at her with an almost proud look in his eyes, and allows herself a few shaky breaths before picking herself up. They have a job to do, a job that she volunteered for.

They exchange nervous glances. Rey takes in the danger of the situation, and the very high possibility that she may die from this.

Together, they charge for the cloud.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, here it is. As you've probably guessed, the next chapter is the fight scene, so get ready! Yay! Don't forget to leave a review, it's very appreciated. The Last Jedi is coming right up, guys! December is right around the corner, so the holidays are soon, too! I'll see you soon, and may the Force be with you!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I know, I know. Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I really have no excuse. Anyhow, here's today's chapter, and I should be posting a chapter tomorrow. Expect some irregularity, but it'll be finished by the fourteenth for sure. Are you guys EXCITED for The Last Jedi?! Yay! Happy reading!**

* * *

Kylo senses the explosion before it actually occurs. He throws his hands over his ears, still running. Rey gives him a puzzled look before awkwardly doing the same, the blow rocking the ground just seconds later. Ears still plugged, Rey's mouth opens silently in a large _O_. Kylo removes his hands and gives her the thumbs-up: _everything's okay now._ Her hands shortly resume their swinging at her side as they dash towards the battle, and she doesn't seem to see the point in asking Kylo how the Force he could sense that.

Kylo's eyes sting. The dust, now thinning out, is made of none other than pure salt (surprise!), making it even more painful than it should've. He stops maybe ten feet from the brawl (they still haven't noticed them yet), Rey following suit. He takes out the small package he's been carrying since they broke apart from J2, untying the string with great difficulty— the medical droid triple knotted it. Rey steps closer, spectating, her shadow falling over the small package. Eventually, the cloth sack rips of its own accord, the contents spilling onto his hand.

"Oh, thank the Force, I wondered how we were going to pull this off." Rey breathes when Kylo hands her her Lightsaber. "How'd...um... Y7 find them?""For one thing, it's _J2_ , and for another thing, he was the head of the whole droid body. You don't think they'd let your average, run of the mill droid operate on a critical condition Force user?"

She shrugs. "I suppose not. But he was acting as such. Rude, generally run of the mill."

"Well, If you'll recall the droid in my story, K2SO..."

"Yes, yes, I know." Rey coughs out. The salt must be getting to her throat, too. She coughs twice more, then ignites her Lightsaber. Kylo hears a strangled yell of rage from the general mass.

Rey hesitantly steps into the cloud, and he follows, igniting his Lightsaber along the way. When they pass through it, the air becomes clearer and less harsh, as if it wasn't quite a cloud at all, but a barrier. Luke and Snoke are locked together, Snoke's jeweled staff pressing against Luke's chest, somehow resisting Luke's green Lightsaber. Their chests are heaving.

Rey lets out a guttural cry and charges for Snoke, whom is still several yards away. Kylo has just enough time to mutter, "Oh, _no_ ," before Snoke breaks apart and bellows, " _REN!_ "

* * *

Poe's loading up his X-Wing, preparing to attempt Leia's slightly crazy idea for a flyby attack on Snoke, while still _somehow_ managing to avoid Luke Skywalker.

 _Luke. Forcing. Skywalker._

He wonders if he's going against Rey's plan by doing this attack, but doubts it. The other pilots are grounded— they're all depending on him, the best shot. Finn's talking to a girl in a maintenance uniform, standing inconspicuously next to the Falcon.

General Organa dashes up to him, her sides heaving. She pulls him away from his beloved black X-Wing, while Poe protests weakly. He knows better than to put up a big fight against the General.

"They've escaped to fight!"

" _Both_ of them?" Poe returns, startled.

"D'you think Rey would have let Ben fight on his own?" Leia replies, obviously distressed. Poe thinks about it for a second, then shakes his head.

"Listen, the trial is in an hour. We need Rey and Ben inside this building in that much, if not less, time. Luke can stay out there— I'll fill in as a witness. Your new job is to get them back using any means possible."

Poe's eyes widen, and he catches himself before he says anything stupid. "General... Luke's going to need help fighting... I'm not sure if it's the best idea..."

"Just _trust_ me!" She begs. "I know my brother. He can fight him off. Do as I say, Dameron. He'll be fine."

Poe exhales slowly. "Okay. Okay, fine. I know a way to talk to Ben, but you're not going to like it."

* * *

Kylo turns around angrily. Rey backs herself up slowly at his words, reaching Luke just as Kylo steps forward to face Snoke. Kylo admires her instantaneous spurt of bravery, but knows that it wasn't the wisest choice when Snoke's in the picture. He's relieved that she's beside Luke now, and not locked in combat with his old master.

"Finally come to help fight?" He asks.

 _You wish._

"I have, Supreme Leader. I know my place now." Kylo replies steadily. He turns around just long enough to see Rey (smirking), and Luke (giving them both the death stare for going directly against his orders).

 _This is it, Kylo. Now or never. If you hesitate any longer, Skywalker and Rey will start to doubt, and you know what happens firsthand when people begin to doubt._

Another tense moment passes.

Kylo spins on his heel spontaneously, and strides away from his former master to stand next to Rey, purposely standing on the side that Skywalker doesn't occupy. Snoke makes a gargling sound that makes Kylo want to choke. Luke's mouth twitches in what might be a smile. Rey leans forward, as if asking, _do we attack now?_ , and Kylo's about to nod and charge once more, but something stops him.

Ren! _Oi, Ren, do you copy?_

Kylo nearly screams bloody murder at the pilot out loud.

 _Of all the times, Dameron... give me a second. Honestly. I don't know what's gotten into you.._

Kylo nods firmly. He's not about to let some pilot get in the way of saving the galaxy. Luke and Rey raise their Lightsabers across their chests, and Kylo hesitantly copies them, knowing that Snoke never bothered to teach him anything like this during training.

 _Well... it's just... your trial. You need to come back,_ the pilot intones nervously.

Rey lets out another fierce battle scream, and Kylo notes that her Lightsaber positioning is remarkably better than when she'd fought him on Starkiller, and wonders when and where she'd learned not to point it directly forward. Snoke grins maliciously, and raises his staff to meet her.

 _I'm busy, Dameron! Snoke's about to kill Rey and Skywalker!_

" _Watch out!_ " He cries, throwing out his hands in pure desperation. He expects debris to hit him forcefully in the face, but the only noticeable change is that there seems to be more salt in the air. He hesitantly raises his eyes up past the ground again.

Rey and Luke are gaping at him, totally spotless and free of debris. An almost invisible barrier stands between the three of them and Snoke, and on Snoke's Side, the ground is cracked and littered with whatever would've hit them. _No way._

 _Are you dead, Ren? Or are you okay now?_

 _Sort of, yeah. We're fine._

 _You need to get back_ now _. This trial needs to be held, or you won't be able to walk into a half-civilized cantina without a bullet in your head. Escaping after trial is better than escaping before— then at least you'll have a chance._

 _I can freeze bullets, remember?_

 _What about ten at a time, huh?_ He asks.

Kylo frowns, but not because of Dameron's words. The Force barrier he's accidentally created is disintegrating faster than expected, Snoke twirling his staff between his fingers to intimidate on the other side. Luke, impatient, punches through the glass-like surface with such power, he looks like Obi-Wan himself. Kylo can't help but admire the Jedi master.

And suddenly, they're locked in combat again. Rey curses and rushes to help, jabbing and thrashing with her Lightsaber, but Kylo doesn't offer much assistance— someone on his side could get hurt. He defends whenever an elaborate staff comes any of his comrades' ways, but doesn't provide much offensive power. He's got only a third of a chance to hit Snoke, and he's not willing to take it. Rey slices off a piece of Snoke's gold robes, narrowly missing his gnarled arms. He thinks he sees her lips moving in a sort of song as she attacks, but can't make out what she's saying. Somehow, though, they're losing, despite the great power they all share— Skywalker looks like he's being overpowered.

" _ENOUGH!_ " Snoke bellows, sending Rey and Skywalker flying. Skywalker makes a grunting sound as he hits the ground, and Rey leaps up again to help. Kylo seizes his chance: if Dameron's right, then they need to attend the trial, however pointless it may seem.

 _It'll be fine, Ren. Just get yourself and Rey over here. We're allies now, aren't we?_

Kylo dashes to Skywalker, Who is just now getting to his feet. Rey's bruised, but otherwise okay. Skywalker, though? He looks like a gentle breeze could knock him over. _And this is the man we're leaving to defend our base._

However, Kylo knows better. He can feel the Force flowing inside each of his old masters, almost equal in quantity.

He grabs Rey's hand again, only half-watching as Snoke and Skywalker plunge into combat again, dancing around the various cracks caused by Snoke's wrath.

"Where're we going? This isn't fair! Luke could _die!_ " She protests. Kylo's too exhausted to reply. He hears cries of fury behind them, too engrossed in battle to notice the two head back to the hangar.

"You're not chickening out. You _can't_ be. _Come on!_ " She yells, doing a bit of a dance in drifting back towards the masters and back to Kylo, who is still pressing on.

Still, Rey follows, though staying a few feet behind him this time, not giving him the reward of walking in stride with her (which is just what he needs, to be perfectly honest: the silence is preferable at the moment).

The hangar door is open just enough for them to slip under when they arrive. Rey's still questioning Kylo's motives loudly, and Kylo's mentally preparing for the sure-to-be hopeless and humiliating trial. They round a corner, Rey still ranting, and nearly run into Dameron himself.

" _There_ you are. Rey, hurry, second floor. You'll be next to Finn... left side of the courtroom, if you please. Ren, come with me." He orders.

Kylo nods solemnly. Rey's eyes are large and wide with fear when she realizes why they've come, and he understands why: they all know he's not going to win, not with a jury of hate-filled people and a murder on his record.

He watches as Rey walks to the stairs, peering through the solid glass wall that reveals a large courtroom. The defendant's stand is elevated and levitating, and there is a floor entirely for spectators and witnesses, though she's clearly been assigned to the former category. Kylo finds this a bit unfair: after all, she's the person who'd spent the most time with him in the last few weeks— but then again, he doubts she'd be unbiased, as witnesses are required to be.

Poe takes his shoulder and guides Kylo through the glass doors, and then up the stairs to the levitating stand. Directly in front of him, Kylo can see, are Mon Mothma, an empty chair where Poe's name has been placed on a silver card, and General Organa. Kylo swallows. This will be more difficult to get through than he expected.

Finn's seated to his right: Rey has just arrived, and is deep in conversation with the former Stormtrooper. Across from them sit Ackbar himself, a surprisingly subdued Chewbacca, and Wedge, the pilot who was talking about them in the halls. The judge seems to be none other than Mon Mothma herself, and the jury comprises of young pilots, all whispering excitedly. Poe leaves Kylo at the stand, and reappears shortly after beside Leia. Mon Mothma steps forward, bringing a gavel to the table. The trial has begun.

* * *

It was eerie: the way that everyone calmly filed into their seats, the way that the jury talked amongst themselves happily. Finn was already in his seat when Rey arrived, and he greeted her as if she'd only been gone a few minutes. Rey appreciated the gesture.

The feeling of eeriness only increases when a woman (Finn whispers in her ear that her name is Mon Mothma) bangs her gavel onto the table. Leia and Poe take their seats beside her.

"We come to court today to trial a man who has been accused of patricide and political treason." Mon Mothma calls, and the jury goes silent.

"The importance of this case being solved properly is such that it is commencing while we are under attack by or our greatest enemy, Snoke." Mothma continues. "Kylo Ren, formerly known as Ben Solo, member of the First Order, please step forward."

He does so. One of the jury members exclaims, "Holy Force, he's not wearing a mask!" The jury titters.

"Shut your mouth this very second, Asty!" She cries, and he claps a hand over his mouth. Mothma clears her throat before continuing.

"Ren. Do you swear to the Force, to the jury, and to the Force ghosts watching over us that everything you will say will be the truth, and nothing but the truth?"

A pause.

"Yes."

Rey thinks she hears a sigh of relief from Finn.

"And the same goes to the witnesses present?"

"It does." Rey's surprised when Finn's voice chimes in. He gives her a sideways glance before pointing to something she didn't notice before— a witness pin.

"Then let the trial commence." Mothma announces. "Following the rules set by the noble Galactic Republic, the defendant and the accuser are expected to defend themselves and their case, provide their own witnesses, and to keep the peace. This will ensure the fairest and truest results. Chewbacca, please step forward. You will be the accuser's first witness."

Somehow, Rey catches Kylo's eye as the Wookie emerges. Though his mouth doesn't move, she can hear what he's saying: _Wish me luck, Scavenger._

 _Luck? There's no such thing as luck._ She replies.

Rey watches nervously as Chewie and his translator have arrived to the witness stand, both giving Kylo a deadly look, but Kylo has the shadow of a smile on his face.

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffhanger, maybe? Dunno. The next chapter will be the court scene, and only the court scene. If you're not into court scenes/legal battles/etc. sorry. If you are, you're in luck! As for the short battle, there'll probably be more of that later on. We're still in part three, so keep that in mind! May the Force be with you!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Here's the court scene, part one! I based the general court structure off of a typical court here on Earth, but with minor changes that fit the story. These changes began at the end of the last chapter, and will be resumed in this one. The next court scene should be published tomorrow or the day after. Happy reading!**

* * *

Kylo remembers.

He remembers _everything_ that has to do with the Wookiee. He remembers saying _I love you, Chewie_ more than he'd said _I love you, Mom,_ or _I love you, Dad._ He related to Chewie more than any genetic member to his family. Chewie, too, was an outcast. Chewbacca never got a medal when the Death Star was destroyed. Chewie wasn't ever allowed in conference meetings due to his disruptive personality. Neither was Kylo, so they oftentimes flew off to someplace Leia wouldn't have approved of when they were taking place, usually areas like Mos Eisley or Endor to visit the Ewoks. They'd laugh together, more than Kylo ever has in his life (the only rival to that being recently). Now, Chewbacca glares on at him as if they'd never shared those memories. It hurts.

"Jury, standing before you today is the first witness of the accuser's side, Chewbacca the Wookiee. Chewbacca, please input whatever you think essential to the case regarding Ren."

 _Please don't._

Papers shuffle from the jury's balcony.

Though the translator kicks in almost immediately, Kylo can understand every word the Wookiee utters before she even begins, and each word is like a punch in the side.

"He says, Han Solo and himself were planting bombs on Starkiller, when Han followed Be—er, _Ren_ out onto a bridge, and—"

Mothma shakes her head, and the weary-looking translator falls silent. "That's not what I mean, Chewbacca. Other witnesses are going to cover these more recent events. We called you to the witness stand to give forth information no one else can: the _reason_ for Ren's treason and patricide."

" _AHRHHHHHARGRAH!_ " The Wookiee bellows. The translator makes a yelping sound and removes herself further from him, hands clutching the sides of her feeble body.

"H-he says that B-Ren—sorry—showed no further signs of hating his father, ex-except when his father and mother argued and threw things and... cursed him for his abilities, which, according to Han, were beyond the help of even Luke."

Everyone in the courtroom's gaze shifts from the translator to General Organa, who looks from Chewie to Kylo to Dameron, hurt in her eyes. Chewbacca mutters something the translator doesn't bother with, but Kylo hears it: the Wookiee regrets saying anything about the subject at all.

"General... do you agree or disagree with these claims? Chewbacca is on your side, so you have my permission to deny anything that seems remotely untrue to you about this subject."

She only shakes her head.

"No, no... they're true."

The jury collectively gasps, and when Kylo looks to where Rey and Finn are seated, he sees that both are looking at him: both have small smiles, and Rey mouths, _This is good. This is in our favor._ She also says something more in her mind, too, something Kylo's sure he's not supposed to hear: _I can't believe Han and Leia did that to him. It's... it's so_ sad.

Mothma clears her throat again. "Right, then. If these claims are true, Chewbacca, why are you on the accuser's side, and not on the defendant's? Are you still accusing Ren of the claims?"

"Gaharghhagh."

"He says that it's because what Ren did was wrong, and that he could've resisted Snoke if he'd really wanted to. He says that most everything that happened to Ren was his fault."

Kylo bows his head despite himself.

Chewbacca lets out a little "Arghh," and the translator informs Mothma that that is all the first witness has to say. Mothma nods, and Chewie takes his seat with a furry hand to his armored sash.

More shuffling papers. Looking to Rey and Finn, Kylo sees Finn playing with his witness badge. That should be an interesting witness.

"Next witness for the accuser's side is General Leia Organa, formerly known as Princess Leia Organa. General, please step forward."

Although she's seated right next to Mothma, Organa stands anyway. She bows to the jury before turning back to face Kylo. Her eyes remain firmly fixed on a spot about ten feet above his head.

"General, please describe Ren's corruption to Snoke, if you would. And— _what in the name of the Force was that?_ " She suddenly cries.

The wall shakes. A singular pane of glass shatters behind Rey, who promptly shrieks before turning red. Mothma is glancing around furiously, as if trying to find the source for the sudden havoc. When none comes forward, she bangs her gavel to signal silence once more. It takes several harsh thwacks to resume the order the court had acquired previously. When everyone's listening again, she speaks.

"As I'm sure everyone knows, we're holding this court during a very tumultuous battle happening just above us. What you witnessed just now was nothing more than our pilots taking flight, trying to control the situation. Nothing to worry about— at the moment. General Organa, where you left off."

But Kylo knows it wasn't just that. The Resistance wouldn't have built a courtroom in such a way that a single glass pane would shatter when pilots took off. Looking to Rey and the absent piece of glass, he wonders how long the rest of the courtroom will be able to withstand the vibrations and explosions soon to come with Snoke's advance.

* * *

It sounded like firecrackers.

That was her initial reaction to the hollow rattling, then the sharp cracking of the glass behind her. A small event compared to what most people in the court'd probably seen, but it caused chaos all the same. Rey doesn't know why everyone's so panicked: after all, they didn't see what she saw.

They didn't see the translucent figure travel through the opening and disappear somewhere inside the room.

She shivers at the mere thought of it. Finn's obviously not seen it, because he's trying to engage her in a whispered discussion of how many pilots may have taken flight for such an anomaly to take place. Rey's not listening.

When Mothma resumes court, it takes all of Rey's focus to listen to Leia, and not search desperately for the creature she'd seen. She doesn't dare tell Finn: she's not even sure she'd tell Luke, or Kylo. A girl ducks through the opening, wincing at the broken glass shards poking at her jet-black hair. She's wearing a grease-stained maintenance uniform, and slides in between Rey and Finn.

"Sorry I'm late!" She gasps. She gives Rey a big smile, and Rey automatically smiles back. She's not used to people who will return her grin, and is happy to see an optimist like her.

"I'm Rose! You're Rey, right? I've heard about you. Sort of. Finn talks about you a lot." She stammers. Rey nods, leaning past her to see Finn, who looks slightly embarrassed.

"So, what'd I miss?" She asks. Finn quietly fills her in, and Rey tries to catch up with the dialogue she'd skipped over at Rose's arrival.

"...was always bothering our family because of our Force-sensitive legacy, and he chose Ben as his next target. We just didn't realize it until..." her voice trails off. Rey looks to Kylo, who seems to be somewhat focused on the General.

"Please continue, General." Mothma urges.

"Y-yes, Mon. When Ben turned fifteen, he went to the Dark Side fully and left Luke forever. He ceased using the name Ben Solo and created a new name for himself: Kylo Ren. I wasn't present at the precise time that he turned, but eyewitnesses claim that he murdered the Jedi Padwans before departing the academy."

Beside her, Rose sucks in a breath. "That doesn't sound good, does it?"

Finn leans past the newcomer and says to Rey in a hushed tone, "I told her who we want to win."

Though Rey usually would've scolded Finn for trusting someone he'd just met with such confidential information, she looks to Rose, who's inspecting a Kylo in such detail Rey wonders if she's counting the hairs on his head. "No, no, it's fine, I think we can trust her." She replies to Finn, and Rose beams.

Leia looks like she's about to break down under the overall pressure, and she's still refusing to look at her son. Mothma gives her a sympathetic nod, and she sits back down.

"Thank you, General."

* * *

Kylo'd swallowed his fears and looked right in the eye of his mother after about three minutes of psyching himself up to do it.

His reward?

No sign of acknowledgment whatsoever. Her eyes were firmly planted on a spot that wasn't even close to him. She may as well have been in another room for the amount of attention she paid him. And though Kylo doesn't necessarily blame her, he takes it as a sign of slight cowardice. He knows it's irrational, but he wants her to see him, to realize that he could change— that he's going to change. But then the General takes her seat again, and Kylo's chance is gone: the General's gaze has no one but Mothma in focus.

"The third witness is Poe Dameron, pilot and member of the Resistance. General Organa, we may return to your points later in the case. Dameron, please step forward."

He does so, bowing slightly to Organa and Mothma.

"You were imprisoned by Ren a little less than a month ago, no?"

He nods nervously. Rey, Finn, and some new girl are all looking intently at him, as if the fate of the galaxy depends on the pilot not tripping up. A nagging voice in the back of Kylo's mind reminds him: it _does._

"Please elaborate on what we already know about this incident, Dameron."

 _Here goes nothing._

Kylo gives a microscopic nod in the pilot's direction, letting him know that he got the hopefully intentional message.

Dameron plunges into story, and Kylo can't help but notice his fingers tapping anxiously on the large metal table. "General sent me on a mission to retrieve the map to Skywalker, and I got it, gave it to BB-8, but then some Stormtroopers shot at my X-Wing when we were about to leave, so—"

"Sorry to interrupt, Dameron, but what you're saying is that Ren did not partake in keeping you grounded?"

"That is correct, Mothma. The Stormtroopers shot at my ship and kept me grounded."

"Right. Please continue."

"Yes, Mothma. Ren had just murdered Lor San Tekka— the previous owner of the map—and I shot from my blaster and he froze it. Ma'am."

"You do not deny that Ren murdered Lor San Tekka in cold blood?" Mothma confirms.

"Never said that. Tekka was rambling all about Ren going Dark, and family, and insulting stuff like that. The guy was asking for it. And I'm not saying it was entirely justified, either, but I don't think it should be known as killing in cold, Judge."

Mothma stiffens. _This isn't going as she planned._

"Right, then, Dameron. What happened next?"

"Well, after he froze it, the Stormtroopers came and brought me over to him. They searched me, but couldn't find the map. They brought me aboard the ship." Poe explains. The new girl seems totally engrossed in the story, Finn is nodding, lips closed tightly, and Rey is out of her seat, quietly investigating the spot where the glass shattered.

"I shouldn't think I need prompt you anymore, do you agree, Dameron?"

"Oh, yes, sorry, Judge. They tried _everything_. Interrogation droids, non-Force user interrogators, everything. Nothing worked... until they brought in Ren. I tried, Judge, I really did, but it...Snoke taught some pretty mean mind tricks, you know? So... I gave in. The pain stopped. Soon, I was off the Destroyer and on Jakku. It happened so fast... kudos to Finn here, by the way. Uh, sorry, Judge."

Mothma seems to be at the end of her rope with the pilot. "So, Dameron, let me clarify for the jury. You didn't mind the interrogation, nor that Ren murdered a man in... _almost_ cold blood."

"Of _course_ I minded the interrogation!" Poe snaps, followed by a hasty "Sorry, Judge."

"Are you quite done?" She replies.

"Y-yes, Judge."

"Good. We're going to skip the next few witnesses for the accuser's side—"

" _WHAT?!_ " Finn exclaims, along with a few others with the telltale witness badge. Rey and the new girl look repulsed, and Kylo can hear Rey's voice in his mind loud and clear: _it's because we're winning. We're winning the unfair trial._ He almost smiles: do they actually have a chance? _Thank the Force for Dameron._

"ORDER!" Mothma bellows. "Witnesses for the defendant's side, please step forward."

Kylo's heart hammers in his throat. He doesn't have any witnesses to speak of, and he knows it: the Resistance would win the trial and their chances of escape would narrow drastically. Finn and Poe are shrugging at each other hopelessly from opposite sides of the courtroom. Rose is still studying Kylo as if he's a limited edition X-Wing.

And suddenly, Rey is on her feet. The court shifts to goggle at her, at her ripped hospital dress, her Lightsaber in her clenched fist. Loud whispers ripple through the jury.

"Rey. First witness." She says firmly.

* * *

 **A/N: Another cliffhanger? Oh, no! Please remember to review, follow, and favorite if you enjoyed, and tune in tomorrow (or the day after) for the court scene, part two! I hope it's not boring. Personally, I don't think it is. Anyway, I'll see you soon!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: The court scene, part two! One more part after this, and it may or may not contain more than just that. Not sure yet.**

 **Anyway, thanks to all my favoriters, followers, and reviewers! Heck, even if you're looking at this, you're appreciated. Congrats for getting this far: I can't believe it's more than fifty thousand words. When I pre-wrote the first few chapters, I had no idea how long it would turn out to be.**

 **By the way, expect a crazy number of fanfictions after The Last Jedi comes out. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Anyway, happy reading!**

* * *

She doesn't know why she does it, but she has no regrets. Mothma gives her a deathly glare, as if blaming her for making the case so difficult and long, and Rey doesn't entirely blame her. Kylo, on the other hand, has a look of so much mixed relief and terror on his face that gives her confidence to continue. She formally extends her hand to Finn, who takes a moment to get the message. He hastily takes off his badge and places it into her palm, and she defiantly pins it to her hospital gown (which has definitely seen better days). Mothma closes her eyes for a good three seconds before saying, "Okay, then, Rey, do you agree to speak of the truth, and nothing but the truth as witness?"

Rey fidgets with her new badge. "Yes, Judge, I do."

"Well, then, let's begin. You _are_ on the defendant's side, correct?"

Rey resists an eye roll. "Yes, I am."

"Ren is on trial for not only treason, but patricide. Do you have a defense for this?"

She sucks in a breath. Every eye in the courtroom is on her. There are even a few uninvited spectators peering through the opening where the glass used to be curiously.

"Sort of." Rey says uncomfortably. _The galaxy is depending on me._

"Finn and I—Chewie, too—we were all present when...when Kylo killed him. I am not here today to deny that this incident happened— I'm sure this whole court, including Kylo, would protest with some level of passion. I am here today to accept that this, as a matter of fact, did happen, and discuss the events that occurred after the fact, something that I think is greatly missing from this courtroom.

"We fought on Starkiller that night, Finn, Kylo, and I. Finn was put into a coma for who knows how long, and Kylo and I were severely injured as well— me more _mentally_ than _physically_. Not once in my pathetic existence before then had someone ever had the ability to enter my mind. It scared me, and that gnawing fear that it could happen again, that someone in this galaxy could see my thoughts at will, was the reason I was convinced to go to Luke in the first place. Indirectly, I have Kylo to thank for launching my Jedi career.

"But my Jedi career was postponed once again when Luke sent me on a mission to discover these old Force ghosts I'd reportedly heard, though I knew perfectly well that the person I'd heard in my head was very much alive. I got sidetracked to Crait, where my engine promptly failed: I suppose I shouldn't blame anyone for it, though. It's the same X-Wing Luke used to get to Degobah. Slightly ironic, that the ship that got Luke to his destiny took me away from mine.

"When I awoke, I was on the very planet we stand on today. I'd made it out of my ship with minimal injuries, something I can only thank the Force for. Another ship was crashed not a hundred yards away, and I'll admit, I didn't have the most well-mannered reaction to the discovery of the occupant inside. As you've probably guessed, Judge, it was Kylo Ren.

"When he came back to consciousness, I fully expected him to try to kill me, so I'd taken his weapons, and brought him into a corner so I'd notice when he woke up. He did, eventually, but was very confused as to where he was. I decided to let him get up, and together, we tried to fix our respective ships. It didn't work—they spontaneously combusted—and as a result, we were stranded.

"But here's what I learned _while_ we were stranded, Judge. Every time I was forced into talking to him, it was somehow worthwhile. He didn't mention Han's death but once, and that one time was to tell me how much he regretted it. According to him, his master made him do it, which I will not defend nor oppose, jury— that is completely up for you to decide.

"I learned that his life wasn't as happy and cheerful as you may think, or may assume if you weren't here at the Resistance when he was. Leia and Chewbacca might have shown you that today, during their testimony. He had to deal with a lot of hate because of his powers, even from Luke, the person who was supposed to help him through it. That's why he turned to Snoke, jury. _That's why_. And if you were in his place, I'm almost positive you would, too.

"While we were figuring out what to do, we had time to compare our dismal lives prior to our training, prior to when our lives really began. We had time to exchange stories I haven't even told my closest friends. We learned more about the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force than we would've with the Journals of the Whills beside us. We laughed, jury. We cried. We knew that when the Resistance came, he'd be put on trial, sentenced, and never given the second chance that had been promised to him in the craters. The craters _were_ his second chance. They allowed him to stop for a few weeks. To _think_. We both had time to contemplate the meanings of the Light and the Dark, and it's been more helpful than, I think, anyone on the jury, or even in the courtroom today, will ever know. Than _we_ know, even.

"So, jury, I'm not here to ask you to forgive his actions for patricide and treason, as you've rightfully accused him for. I am here to ask you to give him a second chance. Han was willing to do it. This time, though, it's _Kylo_ who's willing. I thought I was going to _die_ in those craters, jury, but not because we'd run out of food, or water. I honestly thought he'd kill me the second he got the chance. He never did. So now, we're both alive here, today, in front of you, asking for a second chance. Thank you."

Rey catches her breath, dips slightly to Mothma, then the jury, and takes her seat again. Rose is beaming at her, feet tapping excitedly on the floor. She's saying something to her, but Rey's numb. What if she's failed? What if she's hurt Kylo's chances, instead of helped them?

Eventually, her senses come back, and she hears Mothma say, "Is that all for witnesses on the defendant's side? Alright."

Another pause. Rey refuses to look in Kylo's direction. Poe's waving at her proudly behind Mothma and Leia's backs.

"Very well. The jury shall decide the verdict shortly: witnesses and spectators, you are free to leave and walk about as you please. Thank you."

Rose is grabbing Rey's arm, pulling her through the empty glass pane, and down the steps, Finn close behind. Rey doesn't pay much notice: she's still in shock. She just stood up in front of the only people who've ever cared about her, and defended a murderer. She wonders if they'll lock her up beside Kylo because of what she said. She worries she's given away too much about their plan.

Rose is shaking her. "Hey...Rey! You still with me?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm here."

"Finn and I were wondering... can I join in your plan to escape on the Falcon? I promise I wouldn't be much trouble, and—"

"No, I'm sure you wouldn't be, Rose. Welcome aboard."

Rose squeals, and wraps Rey in a tight hug. Rey grins at her newfound friend, wondering how on Alderaan her friends didn't notice the brilliant maintenance worker sooner.

* * *

Kylo can't put his shock into words.

As soon as she opened her mouth, he knew the jury's job was about to get harder, but he wasn't aware how much. It was amazing how she held her own in a court full of angry people, how she'd turned the court into a somber beach, and how she'd made her words the waves, lapping at and slowly ebbing away their confidence and making them question Kylo, Rey, and even themselves.

She obviously had no idea: she'd looked down, as if ashamed of her nonexistent failure, as soon as she finished. Kylo wanted to yell at her that she did fine, she did wonderful, she had nothing to worry about, it was up to the jury now. He decided to leave it to the new girl, though, because if anyone found that he was communicating to witnesses, he'd be convicted faster than you can say _scruffy_ _-looking Nerfherder_.

But suddenly, she's there, peeping behind Finn with the new girl clutching her shoulders. Something tells him she doesn't want to be there, weather it's the nervous glance to the judges, or the fact that the girl's watching her every move, as if daring her silently to escape. As soon as they've climbed the stairs to the defendant's stand, the girl seems to deem it safe to leave Rey alone, and confidently strides up to Kylo.

"Hello there! I'm Rose Tico, Rey and Finn's friend. I'm coming with you when..." her voice suddenly drops, "...when you're escaping." And with that, she extends her hand for him to shake. He does, albeit a bit uneasily. _Even Rey's not this outgoing._

"Kylo Ren."

Rose nods happily, backing herself to line up with a pointedly subdued Finn. Rey finally looks up, and her eyes meet his.

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't be. You did amazing." Kylo interrupts. Relief washes over the scavenger's face.

She smiles nervously. "Yeah, well... I wasn't really thinking. I hope it helps."

"Don't worry about it." He responds immediately. Somehow, he's not worried anymore, though he knows he should be. "Hey, do you know anything about that glass?" He asks, changing the subject.

She doesn't reply, and instead claps a hand over her mouth, her gaze frozen towards somewhere in the spectator stands.

"What? What is it?" Rose asks, glancing in the direction Rey's eyes are locked onto. "Kylo, can you see anything?"

She's asking him like he's just another Resistance member, which he appreciates. He, too, looks to where Rey is, and instantly sees what's wrong.

"You're telling me you don't see that?" He asks Rose.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm saying, unless it's something ordinary, like a pilot or a ration or something."

"No, no... it's rather special."

Kylo can't believe his eyes, and probably wouldn't if Rey hadn't seen it first.

What they're now staring at is the ghost of Anakin Skywalker.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I am officially the worst at cliffhangers. Minus the one at the end of TFA. Sorry. Expect an update tomorrow or the day after that, but don't hold me to my word on that. Make sure to leave a review if you get the chance. May the Force be with you!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hello all! I finished this literally ten minutes ago, so if any typos occur, sorry about that. I must warn you again: there is a major cliffhanger in this chapter AGAIN. I can't help it! Aah!**

 **Anyway, thank you to "Star" (Guest user) for reviewing! I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying! We'll find more about Anakin in this chapter! This review really made my day (which was a pretty mediocre one), so thank you for that. It's amazing that people like this for me— usually I'm pretty pessimistic. Also, if any of you SERIOUSLY hate the prequels, never fear: I'll only incorporate a few references here and there. I choose to remain neutral in terms of the prequels while many people are very opinionated about them. Happy reading!**

* * *

 _Force. Force. Force._ Rey's mind is spinning. She can barely breathe— seeing the translucent figure in full is beyond her comprehension. She wonders if Kylo's seen anomalies such as this before— she assumes so. With Luke, if no one else.

 _What in the name of Obi-Wan do we do? Oh, Force..._

"Kylo! Is that who I think it is?" She finally manages.

"Who d'you think it is?" He croaks.

"Anakin Skywalker...the Chosen One."

"Come again?" Rose says, confused.

"Yeah."

Finn and Rose have matching looks of pure innocence and confusion. Rey nearly laughs at it all. "I see the resemblance," she says, glancing between the distant Force ghost and Kylo. "He has your hair...er, I mean... _you_ have _his_ hair."

"Har har."

"No, seriously." Rey defends, though she's still half joking. He's about to respond, but someone new has arrived.

"Hey, guys!" Another voice chimes into Rey and Kylo's bickering.

"Poe!" Rey and Finn exclaim spontaneously. The pilot looks a bit harassed, but otherwise okay. He smoothes his hair out, and gives Finn a pat on the back before turning back to Rey.

"You did amazing out there, you know. I'm not saying our chances are _that_ good, but they're better than they would be if you hadn't— _what in the name of the Force is that?!_ " He shouts, pointing to Anakin (who's smirking now).

Rey boggles at the pilot. "You can see that? _You?_ "

Kylo looks unsurprised. Rose and Finn have adopted a sort of glaze over their eyes, and have seemed to tune out of the conversation completely. _They probably think we're just doing Force-y stuff. And we are. But then why can Poe...?_

"Yeah, I can. What the Force is a _ghost_ doing here?" He asks blatantly, ignoring Finn's "Dude, have you _lost_ your _mind?_ ".

"Shut your mouth right this second, Dameron, there aren't any ghosts anywhere." Kylo says icily. "I don't know what _you're_ rambling about, but Rey and I were discussing a pilot who wasn't with the rest of the jury when he very well should've been. Looks to be back in place, though. Right, Rey?"

Rey nods, though she has no idea what's happening— he just acknowledged that there was a Force ghost mere seconds ago. _This is backtracking._

"Good. Dameron, do excuse my witness and I for a moment."

 _Witness? Oh. He means_ me _._ Rey grins at her new title.

Poe nods, and allows himself to be introduced to Rose by a rejuvenated Finn. Rey gives Kylo a puzzled look, and he points back at the ghost, confirming its existence.

"I know. Poe's somewhat Force sensitive, too: that's how he's such a good pilot. He doesn't know it, obviously, otherwise he'd have been dumped on Ach-To to train with Luke before he could even think. Anyway, it's best for him not to find out— at least, not until we're out of here."

 _That makes sense... I guess._

"So... _that's_ Darth Vader?" She asks, somehow picturing someone... scarier whenever the name came up on Jakku.

"A form of him."

"What's he doing here?"

"Sometimes, Force ghosts show up during certain important times in Force users' lives."

"So... this is important?" Rey inquires.

"Very."

She's not looking at the Force ghost anymore, but at him. His eyes are firmly set forward. She wonders why he seems to be so fixed on the ghost: haven't they already established its identity and existence? Then—

"Hey, where's he going?" He asks, head whipping around.

Rey hurriedly looks back to where Anakin is— or used to be. There's no sign of him. She tries not to let on that she's disappointed. _Maybe I subconsciously made him leave._

"Guess that's that, then. He probably disintegrated." She suggests.

"No, I saw him. He stood up, and went somewhere. He left the courtroom. I just don't know where."

She shrugs, not knowing what to say. Inwardly, she wonders if the ghost simply made it look like he was going somewhere in the living world, and just wanted to politely exit.

She cones to the conclusion that this is probably the case until a freezing cold hand is placed delicately on top of her shoulder.

Rey shrieks.

Kylo whirls around, fists clenched, ready to attack. Though unarmed, he's still intimidating: Rose lets out a little yelp when he whips around in her direction. Rey already has a Lightsaber aimed at the attacker.

"Hey, get off her!" Poe yells, joining into the chaos albeit a little late. But the attacker only grins.

"It's fine. I just wanted to see how the scavenger's defenses were. Almost too good, I'd say." He says.

"A-Anakin?" Rey asks, brushing off her shoulder anxiously.

"Don't call her that," Kylo snarls.

"That's me. And this is the new and improved Kylo Ren, I assume? You've got a good witness there. Now, you actually stand a chance." He grins. "And she _is_ a scavenger, isn't she? Why on Alderaan can't I call her by her own profession?"

To Rey's surprise, Kylo only rolls his eyes. "What do you want, Anakin? You guys usually only bothered me when I was on Starkiller... what's your reason now?" Kylo asks. Rey thinks that his ignoring the statement about her being a scavenger was out of politeness, but appreciates it all the same.

Anakin only laughs.

"Hey, Padmé's the one who sent me, to be perfectly honest. Wanted to check and make sure you were okay. Yoda, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon... the usual gang, they aren't really around right now. They're assisting Luke after Snoke had the _brilliant_ idea of summoning Palpatine and Darth Maul for help." He explains. Kylo scoffs, grudgingly impressed by Snoke's strategy, but repulsed by it at the same time. Figuring for herself that it's her job to entertain the great Force user, she plasters on a smile and sticks out her hand. "Rey. How do you do?"

"I'm pretty good, thanks."

Poe's watching the whole conversation as if he's just discovered Y-Wings. Rey wishes she could explain what she knows to him, but Kylo's specifically told her not to, and besides, she doesn't know much herself. Kylo and Anakin are presenrly engaging in a rather loud conversation, and if the courtroom wasn't mostly empty, she would've shouted at the two to keep it down. She only catches snippets of the conversation, words that sound suspiciously like "the girl" and "coming closer". She wonders who _Padmé_ is. Eventually, when conversation persists between ghost and man with no sign of stopping, she motions to Poe, and joins with Rose and Finn, who are passionately discussing the issue of sleeping quarters on the Falcon.

"Yeah, Poe and I can make that work, right, Poe?"

"Um... what?" Poe asks, having just walked over.

"We can share the crew's bunker, right?"

"Er... yeah. Yeah, we can do that." He replies, dazed.

"What about Rose?"

"She can take the quarters above the cockpit."

"No, she can't, Kylo's sleeping there!"

"He'll have to move, then!"

"Guys, listen up! Rose can sleep in Chewie's old room. It's okay. Listen, if you're wondering why Kylo's talking to, um, air... it's all under control. Just a... mental exercise."

Poe opens his mouth to contradict, but Rey's steely glare silences him. Rose isn't listening, however: she's pointing to the judge's pedestal, where Mothma and Leia are taking their seats once more. "That's my cue!" He squeaks, and hurries to join them. The jury is filing back to their seats, too, placing their hands in their laps, obviously ordered to do so by Mothma. Kylo and Anakin have stopped talking. Rose is mumbling something that sounds like a prayer.

 _This is it._

* * *

Kylo and Anakin don't agree about many things, and the Force bond between Rey and Kylo is one of them.

It is Anakin's steadfast belief that it must be removed before something bad occurs (he uses himself and Padmé as an example), and Kylo has to remind Anakin over and over again that one, their Force bond is nothing like Anakin and Padmé's, and two, that Padmé died of a broken heart (and he has a strong feeling that Rey will die of something far more dangerous and, well, _Rey_ ).

He's glad when the jury finally returns so they don't have to speak anymore. He's never liked the stuck-up supposed "Chosen One". Darth Vader is a totally different story.

Rey comes over and stands between Kylo and Anakin, causing Anakin to let out a little huff, try to lean past her and talk to Kylo, give up, and eventually become mute.

"The jury has decided the verdict of the case," Mon Mothma calls, and the chattering of the newly seated spectators fades.

Nervously, Kylo looks to Rey for support. She looks back at him, her gaze steady. It's then that he realizes she's taken his hand. He doesn't know why, but it helps settle his nerves. Looking back at Rose and Finn, he realizes humorously that they're doing the same thing. Poe's got his eyes closed, and he thinks he sees his lips moving, as if the pilot is deep in a chant.

 _Hey._ It's Rey, and her voice is exactly as he'd expected it to be in this situation: with a slight waver, but confident enough to enunciate the last syllable with force and strength.

 _Yeah?_

 _Listen, we've worked out a plan. No matter what happens, after the verdict, run down the stairs of your platform as quickly as you can. We'll be right behind you. We're going to steal the Falcon and leave right away._

 _Okay._

A pause.

 _Thank you._

She smiles nervously before putting on the grim, Serious-Rey expression she hardly ever has. Kylo tries to casually look behind him to see how far away he'll have to run. Chewbacca is eyeing the group of friends suspiciously. Kylo wonders if the Wookiee can see Anakin. Somehow, he knows he can. _Wookiees are mysterious creatures._

Mothma clears her throat, and the courtroom seems to collectively hold their breath. Even General Organa looks tense.

"The verdict of today's trial is—"

* * *

 **A/N: Well, don't say I didn't warn you.**

 **Also: On December 6th, The Last Jedi is being released in Japan, and subsequently, a lot of leaks and spoilers. I won't be reading reviews from the sixth to the fifteenth, nor Private messages, nor the internet in general. So, if you want to contact me, this is your last chance! I suggest you do the same if you want to remain spoiler free, by the way. A new chapter *should* be out by tomorrow, but once again, don't hold me to my word. Make sure to follow, favorite, and review! May the Force be with you!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hello again! I didn't post yesterday because I had a lot of stuff to do, and I'm really stressed right now, but here it is. I know I left off with a really scary cliffhanger last time, so the rest of the A/N is at the bottom. Happy reading!**

* * *

Of _course_ Kylo's been in court before.

Since he became Kylo Ren, whenever captured by the government systems of various planets, their protocol was to trial him. He'd sat through countless of them, planning his escape in his mind while they shamelessly ridiculed him for crimes of the First Order, most of which he didn't even partake in. Never in these experiences had the verdict mattered to him, and he supposes it shouldn't now—after all, they do have a plan—but it does. He doesn't know why. Maybe it's because it involves people he actually cares about, or maybe because it's taking place in the very courtroom where he'd stood from the outside as a little boy, his breath fogging up the glass wallsx watching So-and-So get convicted.

It's Rey who brings him back. Her hand is clenching and unclenching, and he has a feeling it's not intentional. He wonders if he should try to mentally contact her, but Mothma speaks again.

"—guilty as charged."

Kylo's stomach drops to the ground. How could he have even _hoped?_ He wasn't usually a hopeful person, but here he was, hoping that maybe a jury full of Resistance pilots will excuse him for murder and treason.

Rey gives his hand a squeeze. Kylo knows she's disappointed, too, and she probably would've marched right up to the judge's stand and demand a retrial if they didn't have a plan.

 _Right—the plan! What am I_ doing?

He awkwardly lets go of Rey's hand, and she doesn't protest— the plan is still on. Rose is standing, petrified, plastered against a very uncomfortable Finn, and Poe is having a morose discussion with the General up on the judge's stand. _They're counting on me._

He begins to back away, eyeing the judge stand and wondering if the jury has blasters. He doubts it.

He needs a distraction, he decides. He wonders how to achieve one, and if it would be alright to initiate a Force choke on one (if not all) of the jury members. He decides Rey likely wouldn't mind as long as he keeps them alive, and Rose would enjoy the show (and probably defend him because of it if Rey got angry later).

He's just choosing his victim when a wailing, creaking sound rocks the courtroom. The jury, Poe, the General, and even Mothma look around nervously. All thought of a Force choke is temporarily forgotten.

Finn mutters, "What the-?"

And then all of the glass in the courtroom explodes.

Rose and Rey cry out in shock, raising their arms in the air to protect themselves from the dangerous shards. Kylo does the same a few seconds late— he feels cuts forming on his arms and head. Mothma is screaming. Poe is nowhere to be seen.

Rey seems to come to her senses first. " _RUN!_ " She shrieks, charging down the levitating steps and down the defendant's stand. Rose follows suit, Finn not far behind. The former Stormtrooper just manages something that sounds suspiciously like, "Let's go, Ren," but Kylo decides that's impossible: the two have a grudge not even Rey as a mutual friend could fix.

Still, he dashes after Finn as if he _did_ say it. Mothma and the jury are too distracted, and sirens are blaring already. Kylo and Finn catch up to Rey just as she's turning a corner from the destroyed courtroom, now not a room at all— its only walls have shattered.

"Now what do we do? Where's the Falcon?" She asks, before adding: "Holy Sith, where's _Poe?_ "

The cement walls are beginning to crack, now, too. Anakin is just making his way out of the courtroom, eyes wide. "I didn't know Force ghosts could pull off something of _this_ scale!" He gushes to Kylo.

"They can't. It's Snoke." He responds flatly. Anakin looks crestfallen.

"Poe? _Poe!_ " Finn's calling now, but even as he does this he's following Rey and Rose's lead as they begin for the hangar— and for the Falcon.

"Will the Falcon even be _in_ here?" Rose's yelling over the noise.

"Yeah, Luke took it to get off Ach-To," Kylo says. Rose nods nervously. Kylo wonders if she's ever seen this much action, but doubts it: _he's_ never seen this much action.

They bump into Poe five minutes into the sprint. Poe gives a little shout, blaster raised, but shortly after embraces Rey and Rose, mumbling something about needing to get the General out of the collapsing room. They're about to leave again when another girl dashes up, introduces herself hurriedly as Paige Tico when blasters point her way, and hugs Rose quickly before running away again. "My sister," Rose explains, and Rey gives her a sympathetic smile.

Then footsteps patter against the cracked floor ("Pilots!" Poe gasps), and they're off again. Shortly after, Anakin disintegrates and BB-8 barrels around the corner, met by an overjoyed Poe and an invitation to escape on the Falcon. The droid agrees.

Kylo loses track of time— he's gotten used to the exhausting sprinting, the ducking as parts of the ceiling cave, the occasional encounter with Resistance members (who are strategically placed unconscious by Kylo). He's estimating it's been about twenty minutes, and that the courtroom was designed to be as far as possible away from the hangar to prevent criminals from escaping.

 _Well, we're doing just that, and we're making pretty good time, too._

" _There!_ " Poe yells. The Falcon is parked in the hangar, gangplank down, almost begging to be flown.

"Somebody open the hangar door. We're going to need to make this quick so Snoke doesn't get in here." Rey orders. Finn volunteers when no one else does, Poe patting him on the back when he does so, and the group splits apart.

* * *

Rey is so out of breath, she can't believe she hasn't collapsed already. That said, she does so on the gangplank to the Falcon, having spent her very last bit of energy.

Pilots shouted at them on the way, some going as far as to chase after them, but Kylo yelled, "It's okay! Keep going!", and so she did. But now, laying down on her face, she can't even bring herself to walk to the main room. She senses two presences crouch over her, and hears Rose say, "It's okay, Poe. She's had an extremely long day. Go fire up the engines." A pause, then, "NOW!" Footsteps up the gangplank.

She hears blasters, then angry voices and braces herself for impact, but in a few seconds, it's as if they're underwater: she can still hear them and their blaster shots, but she can't make out what they're saying. Rose's "Whoa! Nice!", however, is perfectly clear.

"We don't have much time. Go tell Dameron to hurry. I'll get Rey." Kylo responds.

 _What'd he do to make them sound like that?_

She feels herself being lifted gently, carried into the main living area, and set down on the bench she remembers Chewie himself lay on when she and Han had just met.

"The hangar doors are opening! Finn'd better get his rear end over here!" Poe calls, presumably from the cockpit.

"Great! Will somebody get some water or something to pour on Rey? She's still unconscious, but Snoke didn't do anything." Kylo replies. His voice is closer.

"I got some!" Rose cries. Hurried footsteps.

"Thanks."

"Yeah. Here's Finn, Poe. Kylo, could you stop... whatever you're doing with the ship... for a second?"

"You mean the Force barrier? Sure." _So that's what it is._

Pounding on a metal grate. Someone out of breath.

"I'm here. What's wrong with Rey?"

"She went unconscious on the gangplank. Give her some space, Finn, I'm about to pour some water on her."

"Okay. Come on, Rose."

"No, I want to—"

"ROSE! YOU CAN SHOOT, RIGHT?!"

"Poe?! What the Force? You _know_ I can't!"

" _I_ can!"

"Get on it, then, Finn! Goodness Force!"

"What, are they attacking?"

"Yeah! Also, Snoke's not far from the entrance to the hangar. This is going to be tight."

Suddenly, icy cold needles pierce Rey's skin, spilling down her neck and face. She screams, sitting upright and tweaking her neck in the process.

"Holy _Force!_ What the-?" She gasps.

"Hey, you're okay. You didn't miss much. Hey, can you help us pilot?" Kylo asks, holding an empty cup. _Oh._

"Uh... yeah. Let's go." She says, wiping off the majority of what she now sees is water on her face.

She leads the way to the cockpit, where Poe is frantically blocking messages from the Resistance, attempting to break the security code, and firing the secondary compactor—all at once.

"Need some help, Dameron?" Kylo asks, and, without waiting for an answer, slides into the copilot's seat, and begins flicking switches. Rey doesn't really see why she's needed, but sticks around anyway.

They move as one: when one leans over to flick a switch or enter a code, the other moves to make room seconds before the first even begins. They speak in half-finished sentences, interrupting each other while never missing a beat. At one point, they switch languages entirely, switching to maybe binary— _or something like that_. They don't even _look_ at each other. Abruptly, Rey finds herself decidedly believing that Poe is Force sensitive— no one could've pulled that off otherwise.

Eventually, she gives up trying to "help", and joins Rose on the curved couch. She barely looks up. She looks a little green, in Rey's opinion.

"Are you worried about Paige?" She asks.

"Yeah."

"She'll be fine. She may be trialed, but she doesn't know anything. She can't possibly be convicted with no knowledge of our plan."

"I suppose." Rose sighs, head in hands. "I can't believe we're going this. We're not even off the ground, and I regret it already."

"I know. It's totally crazy." Rey agrees.

A pause.

"You can leave now. If you want. I can't, obviously, but _you_ could if you'd like." Rey offers halfheartedly.

"I know what I signed up for." She replies firmly.

The Falcon jolts forward. Rey hears Poe cheer jubilantly from the cockpit. Rose clutches the side of the couch anxiously. Rey rises to climb down and check on Finn, who's been mysteriously silent on the comm.

He's frozen to his seat.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asks.

"I-I've never seen him in the flesh before. I mean... I've heard stories from my friends back at the First Order, but..."

Rey rolls her eyes. "You'd think you'd have gotten over the fact that you've seen Kylo in the flesh already."

He breaks his trance to stare at her, confused.

"Kylo? No, I'm not talking about Kylo. I'm talking about him." And he points.

Though the hangar door is only halfway open, Supreme Leader Snoke has entered.

* * *

 **A/N: So, before you yell at me for a cliffhanger, let me say something first: We legitimately have THREE CHAPTERS REMAINING. Can you believe it?! I'm honestly really proud of myself. Yay! Okay, NOW you can yell at me for a cliffhanger (though I'd save your voice to yell at Rian Johnson when he drops the biggest cliffhanger in the galaxy with The Last Jedi). If you were confused by that dialogue, sorry— it was my way of expressing the confusion felt on the Falcon. If you couldn't match up lines with voices, my bad. I tried to make it clear. Make sure to review, follow, etc. Shoutout to Star for reviewing again! Thanks for supporting the idea— I've been thinking about it for awhile and honestly it would be CRAZY if that happened in IX— kind of a grand finale, you know? I know it's not going to happen, but I can dream.**

 **NattyJane— Thank you so much! I'm very flattered. Don't feel limited to my fanfiction, though: there are plenty of others that I personally read that are just as (if not more!) good.**

 **May the Force be with you, guys! We're almost there! By the way, is anyone going to the premiere? I'm jealous...**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Oh my Force, guys! We are SO CLOSE. I can't even believe it. Yay! Two more chapters after this one!**

 **Star (Guest): Thanks! All I can really say to that is...you'll see. Enjoy this chapter while it lasts!**

 **Also: THERE IS A MODERATELY GRAPHIC SCENE AT THE BOTTOM. If you want to avoid it, it's basically the last part of the last section. It's not that bad, but I just wanted to warn people. It's the worst it's gotten in terms of the rating T so far.**

 **More A/N at the bottom!**

* * *

"Kyyylo-o!" Rey shrieks, climbing the ladder at top speed and nearly tripping as a ball-shaped droid barrels past. _BB-8! Thank the Force!_

"I can see him!" Poe cries, yanking on a decrepit old headset and paging Finn. "Finn?! Crush the golden guy!" "I _can't!_ " A faint response comes through, followed by some distant static. "The Resistance's blocked my ability to fire!" Poe groans, slumping against the dashboard.

"Kylo! We need you! We need to fight him!" She yells again.

"We need to _what?_ " He replies. "We could probably make it if we leave now! We have no obligation to fight him anymore! Oh, yeah, and where the Force is Skywalker?"

 _There he is!_ Luke is now barreling through the now fully open hangar door, clearly winded, Lightsaber barely even raised against the Dark Force user. _He won't even last another blow._

"Not an option, Kylo. Skywalker doesn't look so good." Rey notes. Finn's screaming something over the headset, but it's indecipherable. As if coming to a spontaneous decision, Kylo stands up from the pilot's seat, nodding to Poe before leaving after Rey.

"You even _ready_ to fight?" He wonders. She only scoffs— they both already know the answer. BB-8 whirrs loudly as they stride down the gangplank.

"Poe says to make it quick and to get back in here as soon as possible so we can get out of here!" Rose calls after them. "Holy Force, I've never met two people so brave," she adds, and Rey cracks a smile. It doesn't last— in the next minute they're glancing at each other nervously. Rey sure as Force doesn't _feel_ brave.

"I'm disabling the Force barrier. You ready?" Kylo asks.

"I guess so."

"Okay, let's do this. Three...two...one. _Come on!_ " He yells, bolting down the remainder of the gangplank. Rey closely follows. They draw their Lightsabers as they run, freezing and dodging blaster bolts as they near Snoke and Luke. And though she can't quite explain it, Rey receives the terrifying (and hopefully meaningless) feeling that one of them won't be making it back to the Falcon alive.

* * *

The sun is setting. Long shadows envelop the X-Wings and other various pieces of equipment, and despite the fact that Kylo's eyes have to adjust to the dark, the nighttime strobe lights for the hangar haven't yet turned on. Orange and red light seeps through the topmost windows of the hangar door. Small fires burn silently, likely due to the blasters ricocheting off the invincible Falcon. And amidst the smoke and fire are Luke and Snoke. Luke's crouched down, his Lightsaber hissing as it makes contact with the floor. He's gasping for breath. Rey inhales sharply when she sees his condition, and rushes to his aid, leaving Kylo and Snoke to stare each other down. This is done a bit awkwardly: it was just hours ago that Snoke had the false assumption that Kylo was still his apprentice. Snoke's grinning menacingly, and just for a second, Kylo wishes he had his mask.

"J2! Get your rear end _over_ here!" Rey suddenly cries, disturbing the delicate silence. Kylo's old friend, who helped him get Rey out of the medical bay, clambers out of the crowd of pilots and droids alike. Rey gives the droid a thankful pat in the back (it can't read expressions very well), and walks slowly backward in Kylo's direction, watching J2 load Skywalker into his steady arms and lumber away from the soon-to-be battleground. Eventually, Rey slams back-first into Kylo, distracted, and Kylo has to steady the both of them to avoid crashing to the ground. Snoke chuckles heartlessly at the spectacle. Rey hisses at him.

"Come to meet your end?" He snarls. Staff in hand, he advances towards the two Force users, and Kylo takes an automatic defensive stance, legs spread out, slightly crouched. Rey uses a similar one to prepare, and Kylo thinks he can hear her heart thumping. Or maybe it's his. He's not sure.

 _Ren._ Poe's voice suddenly fills his mind.

 _Dameron?_ He wonders.

 _You got it. You have three new messages._

 _What?_

 _You heard me._

 _Um...okay._

 _Rose wants you to "have fun crushing your master like a Porg". Her words, not mine._

 _Eww._

 _Finn says not to destroy too many Resistance ships._

 _Okay._ Leave it to Finn.

 _And I think I'm speaking for all of us when I say to take care of yourself and Rey while you're fighting the golden guy._

 _Thanks, Dameron._

Snoke tries again. "Stop playing games, Ren, and destroy this... _scavenger_."

Something snaps inside of him. Kylo doesn't know what, or why, but all of his self-control completely vanishes as Snoke speaks. Temporarily, he has no consequences.

" _HER NAME IS REY!_ " He yells, his lungs straining. Rey offers a quiet "Yeah!", but the damage has been done. Kylo's crossed the line, and he knows it. _Time for the consequences, Kylo. Nice going._ Inwardly, he prepares for something he hasn't had to deal with in weeks. Snoke extends his hand towards him.

It begins in his core. A small twinge, nothing more, but it stays, increases, grows. Kylo sinks to the ground, the pain slowly spreading to his limbs, to his head—it congregates in his head. All the sounds around him are strangely muted, but he can still hear Snoke's cackling, Rey's frantic words (though he can't make them out), the soft crackling of the fires. Just when he thinks that he'll go unconscious, the pain increases, reaching a level simply beyond Kylo's comprehension. He doesn't think it's ever been this bad. He cloudily wonders how in the name of the Force it didn't cross his mind to escape when he was in Snoke's clutches before. _I was so stupid._

His eyes have been closed for a long time, now, but now he begins to see visions: he's too weak to protest. He assumes Snoke's inflicting them on him, but they could be a side effect of the pain, he supposes. They're mixed up, out of order—but somehow still make sense.

 _So you're the girl I've heard so much about._

 _She is strong with the Force!_

 _You're my guest._

 _You need a teacher! I can show you the ways of the Force!_

 _And Han Solo...you feel like he's the father you never had. He would've disappointed you._

 _It's too late._

 _Don't be afraid, I feel it too._

Images flash through his addled mind, going from his early childhood to just an hour ago, when he was with his friends, Rey by his side, waiting to hear his fate. The fate that they all, somehow, cared about and wanted to help with. Though he knows it's not intended, the memory, however recent, lights a tiny spark inside the dark and hopeless pain. He opens his eyes again. Rey is nowhere to be seen.

He closes them— keeping them open is proving to be too great a task. He hears footsteps thrumming against the floor, and the sound of a Lightsaber being waved about. He hears a distant battle cry.

 _She's attacking._

A sound that reminds Kylo of a compressor short-circuiting erupts into the air. A bellow of rage from Snoke shakes the very foundation of the hangar. The pain is increasing again. Someone's panting.

"Join me, scavenger." The Dark Lord cries maliciously. "Run away from your friends, from your master. Join while you still can. The First Order shall rule all. What do you care about the fate of Ren?" He asks, obviously not wanting an answer. Snoke's voice sounds nearer now.

A long pause.

"I care an awful Forcing lot, so get out of my way, you lump of Nerfherder waste." She snarls. Kylo feels a strange ripple in the Force, followed by total and absolute silence. Abruptly, the pain subsides, and Kylo blacks out.

* * *

As soon as she says this, Snoke seems to lose all focus whatsoever. Kylo goes limp, and the fires begin to creep in on them: Rey didn't realize the old Force user had been holding them back, and they close them in awfully fast. The flames, at some points, reach five feet. They're trapped.

But Rey has larger things to worry about. Somehow, they've switched positions: Snoke now stands over Kylo, and it's Rey whose back is to the group of pilots. Snoke seems to realize this, too, because he gives Rey an evil smile she's never seen the likes of before. _And you thought_ Kylo _was bad when you first met him._

Slowly, knowing there's no way for Rey to stop him, he raises his staff, obviously preparing for some evil maneuver that will defeat Kylo (and likely the entire base while he's at it) once and for all. His staff is fully poised. He's about to bring it down. Rey has to do something. Fires rage around them, giving the feeling of being trapped in a cage. It's silent, save the soft popping of the fire. Rey, and Snoke, and Kylo are all in their own world.

A world that would soon have one less person in it.

" _WAIT!_ " Rey screams suddenly, surprising even herself. Snoke pauses, and Rey realizes the staff is just inches away from Kylo's back. Its pointed tip twitches slightly. Snoke smiles again.

"Try and stop me, Scavenger."

And the tip of the staff plunges into Kylo's back.

All Rey can remember after that is unleashing a force she's never quite seen in herself before, her vision tinged slightly red. She uses no weapons, and yet, Snoke falls to the ground as if she has. He collapses on the floor, and as if waiting to do so, the fire engulfs him. Rey's heart is threatening to burst. Adrenaline pulses through her veins, and she's breathing heavily. Somehow, she knows Snoke's still alive, but she isn't as sure about Kylo. She manages to drag him away from where he rests, protecting him from the flames. She picks up Snoke's fallen staff and hurls it as far as she can, knowing it's childish, but taking pleasure from it all the same.

There are clacking footsteps against the concrete floor now, hurried, headed in her direction. She sinks to the floor, utterly exhausted, all hope given up. Tears streak her face, and she lets them fall. Blood is seeping out of his back, pooling on the floor. Desperately, Rey rips off a bit of her nearly destroyed hospital gown and attempts to stop the bleeding. Though it's not entirely effective, Rey likes to think it does some good.

And suddenly, she's sobbing. Dry, body-shaking, racking sobs. She trembles, resting her head a few inches away from the wound his own master inflicted. She doesn't know what's going to happen next, and doesn't particularly care. Complete silence seems to make the hangar seem larger. The footsteps persist. The fire begins to die down, but is still well over three feet high. Rey tries to steady her breathing, but finds she can't. She gulps down the smoky air. In the back of her mind, she vaguely wonders why she hasn't been arrested by the Resistance yet—after all, she's _right there_ — but no one steps forward. She can't see the crowds anymore: for all she knows, they could've fled. She doesn't remotely blame them.

"Rey? Is that you?" _Poe!_

"P-Poe...help..." Rey manages. There he is, stepping carefully through the fire to meet her. Poe mutters a curse when he sees Kylo, his breaths echoing through the hangar.

"Force, Rey, he's bleeding pretty bad. It was Snoke, wasn't it?"

"Y-yeah."

"We'll see what we can do, okay? The plan's still on. The Resistance is going to come to their senses someday. We'll try to bring him back on the ship. Can you walk?" Rey manages to nod. She's physically exerted herself today more than any day in her memory. _What does he mean,_ bring him back?

Still, she scrambles after the pilot as he lifts Kylo in the air and steps cautiously through the fire towards the Falcon. It's hot to the touch, and singes her legs, but otherwise does no damage.

Rose and Finn are waiting on the gangplank of the great ship, and help take Kylo inside. Rose takes Rey's hand, guiding her inside. They've likely watched the entire scene unfold from the cockpit window. There's a brief moment of panic when Rey realizes she's left her Lightsaber at the battle scene, but sees it in Poe's hand a second later and relaxes slightly. But as soon as she's done this, a massive explosion rocks the ship. Rey doesn't react—she's beyond exhaustion at this point, and nothing can shake her anymore—but the rest of the crew does.

" _TIME TO GO!_ " Poe shouts, dashing into the cockpit at full throttle, firing up the engines as he goes. Rose brings her to a seat, and she automatically sits, watching as Finn carefully lowers Kylo onto the couch.

"BB-8! The medical supplies!" He orders, sending the droid rolling off into the supply cupboards.

"Alright, gang, we got this!" Rose cheers halfheartedly. Rey gives her a grimace to acknowledge the effort made.

The Falcon starts rolling, and Rey clutches onto the side of the chair. She doesn't recall it being this bumpy a ride the last time she flew. Rose glances around nervously. The entire crew is visibly tense, except for Kylo, whose face has gone paler than Rey would've thought possible. Anxiety clouds her vision. BB-8 comes a few seconds later, holding a tray full of scary-looking instruments.

"Okay, Rey... I'm going to explain everything I'm going so you feel better, is that all right?" Finn asks, a small smile testing the corners of his mouth. Rey manages to nod, and Rose nods even more after she does to relay the affirmative to Finn even further.

"First... I'm going to clean the wound. Water, BB-8."

BB-8 obliges. Rose lets out a little gasp as the multitude of blood is washed away, but Rey doesn't move. Next, Finn cuts away Kylo's damaged robes, washing more blood away after he does so. Rose cringes.

"You say he got...stabbed, wasn't it?" Finn asks uncomfortably. Another nod.

"Right, if it was Snoke's staff, then, there shouldn't be any splinters or anything. His staff is made out of the best metal there is. I had to take a medicinal training course while I was... _there_ ," he explains. "BB-8! Cauterizer, please!"

"What's _that?_ " Rose asks. She looks a bit queasy.

"It'll seal the wound so he doesn't lose any more blood. BB-8. Cauterizer. _Now._ "

A whir from BB-8, and then a blaster-sized instrument emerges from the droid's spherical form. Finn snatches it, and powers it up before Rey can even blink. _He really knows what he's doing._

"Right, so... there's going to be a very bright and very dangerous light. Look away." He announces. Rose shields her eyes, and it takes a bit for Rey to remember to do the same. Her arms feel like lead weights. There's a flash of light, and then an "Okay," from Finn. When Rey's vision is restored, there's smoke everywhere. _Oh, Finn, did you break the ship? Please don't tell me you broke the ship._

When it finally clears (but not without a "What did you _do_ to this ship?" interjection from Poe), Kylo's wound is revealed. A single trickle of blood snakes down his back, while the rest is messily patched up by a black, burnt-looking scar. Rey almost cries in relief, and Rose cheers. Finn grins, clearly pleased with his emergency surgical work.

"He'll need to rest for awhile, but he should be fine."

"That's too bad, he missed out on our first team meeting!" Poe replies happily, and they laugh, relieved. Feeling reinvigorated for the time being, Rey gathers herself to join the rest of her friends in the cockpit of the Falcon, where they're greeted with a surprise.

"You didn't tell us you went into light speed!" Finn exclaims.

"Yeah, well, I did. Let the journey begin, crew. Rey, where to?"

Rey takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down after one scare after another during the past day. Finally, they're getting someplace. Their mission is beginning.

"Jedha."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry if that scene got a bit graphic, but it IS rated T, and I feel like that's really the only instance where the rating is completely justified.**

 **Expect the last few chapters any day now, they should be around this length, maybe a bit longer. The Last Jedi is almost upon us! Please remember to follow, favorite, and review! May the Force be with you!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Here it is! I know it's early, so hurrah! A bit of advice: people have already seen The Last Jedi. I implore you once again to close down your internet to avoid spoilers. There won't be any spoilers on here, but I thought I'd remind everyone. There are already spoilers on this website alone.**

 **Star: Yes, it most certainly is. As for Snoke, you'll have to see! *winks***

 **Please enjoy! Happy reading!**

* * *

Though he's not entirely sure why, Kylo's back and side hurt like nothing he's ever experienced before. He moans softly, trying to turn over, but it greeted instead by a sharp pain that's beyond anything he expected. He hisses sharply at the agony.

"Oh, Force, I think he's awake." A girl's voice gasps. Her voice raises. "Hey, you guys, will you get over here? _Now?_ " There are hurried footsteps. Two men are deep in conversation, talking about... _Jedha?_ Kylo's not sure he hears them correctly.

"What's wrong?" Another female voice chimes in. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, look! He's awake! Kylo, can you hear me? It's Poe Dameron. Member of Team Craters."

"Poe! Shut it!" The second female voice scolds. "He was just _impaled_ , for Force's sake. Give him a break."

 _Impaled?! Wait—_ Rey?

" _Rey!_ " He suddenly gasps, his mouth dry. His eyes open. Rey, Rose, Finn, and Poe are peering at him like they've never actually seen him before. BB-8 rolls up, too, and cries, _He's alive!_ before dashing away.

"Yeah, I'm alive. What happened?"

"Snoke impaled you with his pointy staff. Finn fixed it, though. You should be okay." Rose explains.

Impaled _sounds pretty far away from_ okay.

"Poe—what'd you say you were a part of again?" Rey asks, already walking towards the water pump with a cloth.

"Oh, yeah, that's what I thought we should call our group. Craters, you know? Sort of like the ones you guys crashed in...the ones that made Kylo go all ' _what am I doing with my life?_ ' and everything."

Rey scratches her head. "That's...actually...not a bad idea."

"I know, right?" Poe grins. "So, are we doing it, then?"

Rey's returning with a now dripping cloth, which she hands to Kylo. She nods when Poe looks to her for permission. Rose is smiling. Finn is giving Poe the thumbs-up.

"Craters?" He asks, standing in the middle of the group, arms outstretched.

" _CRATERS!_ " Everyone shouts. Even Kylo finds himself yelling their strange new name.

* * *

According to Poe, they have a little less than a week before they arrive on Jedha. Finn assigns himself as the official planner and secretary of Craters, and shortly after calls a "team meeting". Rey's not pleased.

"Finn! Kylo's been awake for less than twelve hours, and—"

"And he's doing perfectly fine. Relax, Rey." Finn responds impatiently. Rey goes quiet. "Now, we're heading to Jeadna—"

" _Jedha!_ " Rey and Kylo correct instantly.

"Right. Jedha. I've been scouring through a few of the Falcon's records, and we have good news: Han's been here before. Likely to smuggle out Kyber or something, I dunno. The point is, he took notes."

There's a solitary clap from Poe, who abruptly stops when everyone turns to stare at him. He blushes.

"Well, go on, then, what'd he say?" Rey demands.

"Um...well...he doesn't have many nice things to say about the people there...calls them 'thuggish' and 'barbaric'."

Kylo rolls his eyes. "That's my dad for you."

"No, I think we should be listening to what he's saying. He says that when he landed the Falcon, they instantly considered it an attack, and tried to raid his ship. He says they had the Empire's flag all over the place. He says a lot of things...but nothing about the Gray Jedi."

Kylo seems to ser it as his job to debunk everything Finn's saying, because he replies, "Yeah, but he's not the most careful and courteous person in the galaxy, not when it comes to his landing style...or anything else. And the Empire doesn't even exist anymore, but if the First Order is there, they'll have fought them off. Nobody succumbs to the First Order willingly."

Finn's eyes narrow, and Kylo stares right back at him. Rey feels the tension in the room increase. Rey decides to take control. "Okay! What a wonderful meeting, guys! Can we move to the next thing on the agenda? I need new clothes, and I'm pretty sure Kylo does, too. Rose, have you found any?"

"Er...sort of. Let me show you." Rose says uncomfortably. Rey and Kylo both rise, eager to get out of their nearly destroyed clothes. In Kylo's case, he barely even has a shirt left after Finn cut it off during the emergency surgery.

They come to a small closet next to the crew's bunkers, and Rose hesitantly opens it. Inside of the closet, in all their glory, sit about five identical Han Solo outfits. Kylo groans.

"Told ya." Rose grins. "But I think you can probably skip the vest if you do so desire. You, especially, Kylo, or you'll look like the splitting image of him."

"Watch it," he growls, and Rose backs off.

"I am _so_ wearing the vest," Rey announces, taking an outfit out of the closet and investigating it. "Anything's an upgrade from this stupid tarp I've been forced to wear for days on end. Besides," she adds, "I'll look like a smuggler!" Kylo rolls his eyes.

In three minutes, they've both changed into Han's clothes, and are heading back to the main living area, where Finn and Poe are playing chess with Rose spectating. Finn appears to be winning.

"Now what?" Kylo asks in a sort of greeting, and they all look up. Somehow, he's managed to take Han's clothes and make them look like somebody else's: there's no vest present, and he's wearing his old First Order boots. His Lightsaber is clipped to his belt, right where a blaster would normally go. Rey emerges a second later— she's kept the vest and everything else, because she'd always secretly admired Han's style. To her surprise, in her opinion, the clothes are softer than those she wore on Jakku.

"What do you mean, _now what?_ " Poe returns, confused. "We're on a straight course to Jedha. We have plenty of food, water, and space to smuggle ourselves should the need present itself. There's nothing to do. We can relax—though I'm sure you're not quite used to that, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

Poe shrugs. "Well, you're going to have to on this trip."

Kylo grumbles something Rey's probably glad she can't hear, and flops down on the couch next to the smirking pilot. Finn gives him a sideways look, and continues playing, causing a greenish creature to jump forward two squares. Poe frowns. Kylo's staring at the game board intently. Rey and Rose shrug at each other: neither know the game, nor wish to partake in it.

Suddenly, Kylo reaches over Poe on the gameboard, moving the pilot's creature a few squares diagonally. It attacks Finn's piece brutally, finishing by clubbing the monster on the head. The characters reset: to Rey's knowledge, the game has been won. Kylo stands again, the smallest of smiles on his face. Poe and Finn look up at him in disbelief. Rey struggles to put on a straight face for Finn's sake. _Kylo was brought up on this game: Finn can't expect to win._

Rey excuses herself, striding into the cockpit and checking the gauges to make sure that the important things (like ration and fuel levels) are in order. They are, of course, but it brings Rey's mind to rest all the same. Though Han flew this ship for most of his life, she still doesn't entirely trust it. After all, she and Finn were only on it for a solid five minutes before something went wrong.

"What're you doing?"

It's Kylo. Rey turns around slowly, embarrassed. She doesn't want to admit that she's worried about his father's ship— _isn't that sort of like an insult? An indirect one?_

"No, not really."

Rey jumps. Kylo looks down.

"Er, sorry. It just kind of... _happens,_ now."

She shakes her head. "No, no, it's fine. I trust this ship. It's saved Luke, Leia, and Han's lives more than we can count." Rey gives the dashboard a little pat. "Nothing will go wrong." _I hope._

As if on cue, an alarm blares overhead, and the lights turn from white to deep red. Rose, Finn, and Poe yell in surprise and cover their ears, instinctively ducking. Kylo and Rey look at each other in disbelief.

"Something's wrong." Rey manages. Kylo nods, and Rey knows they're both trying to repress the irony of the situation—at least, for now. Perhaps they can laugh about it with Finn, Poe, and Rose later.

It's hard to see when it's so dark. Rey's eyes have to refocus several times before she can really see what's going on, and when she does, she doesn't like it. The entire crew is dashing around the ship, each on their own agenda. She rushes down to where the bunkers are to find Kylo and Finn analyzing a sizzling metal box.

"Wonderful. The generators have blown out." Kylo groans.

"Which ones? I thought there was only one fuel generator." Rey asks.

"The fuel one, and the oxygen generator."

"Did you just say the _oxygen generator_ blew out?" Finn interrupts. Kylo nods, distracted.

"So...we're going to run out of air."

" _Yes, we're going to run out of air!_ " He returns, irritated. "Rey, hand me the size three socket wrench!"

"That's Finn's job!" She calls back, already charging towards the fuel cells. They're located in a very out-of-the-way place, down a ladder and across a questionable catwalk. Sure enough, one of them is on fire, and the others have been disconnected, likely due to the melting of the wires. She curses loudly, hoping Kylo has the other generator online soon. It's far more important. There're footsteps heading downstairs to where she's standing. She hopes it's Rose or Poe with a tool chest.

It's Poe, and sure enough, he's carrying the chest. She mutters a quick "Thanks," then resumes her work. She comes to the decision to use hot wax to mend the fuel cells. She has no proof that it'll work, but she doesn't have any spare wires (and isn't about to send Poe on a journey through the Falcon to get some, when he'll likely just take them from someplace equally important). He stands there uncomfortably, and Rey doesn't know weather to send him off, or invite him to stay. Since a rather repulsive smell is beginning to form from the fire, she assumes he'll show himself out, but he doesn't. Rey shrugs to herself and continues with her work. She uses her old hospital gown to beat out the fire, telling herself to remember to throw it away at her next opportunity.

"So." She says, eyes focused on the burned circuitboard. "Do you know anything about mechanics? Because—"

"No, I don't."

"Okay."

She frowns. _I think if I use the circuit reset toggle, I can convert the fuel to the primary tank. The primary tank seems to be fine._ She searches for the toggle aimlessly, fearing that it may have burned off. She can hear Kylo cursing in the distance. _This isn't going well._

"Um...what're you doing here?" She asks cautiously, hoping he doesn't take offense to the question.

"Oh. Sorry. I can leave, it's just a Force of a lot less stressful down here than with Finn and Kylo hacing a shouting match, and Rose generally freaking out...you're the only reason those two haven't killed each other brutally by now, you know."

Rey sighs. Yes, she knows, and it's a bit too much pressure. "Believe it or not, I'm pretty stressed, too."

"I know. But _you're_ not yelling bloody murder at everyone in the room." Poe responds, leaning against the wall. Rey's finally found the toggle switch. It's broken.

"That's subject to change," she says, gritting her teeth. "Crowbar."

"Wha-? Oh, right. Here."

Rey extends her hand, and the cold metal piece is soon placed in it, though it's placed upside down. _I wish Rose'd come down here. At least_ she _knows how to handle tools._

"Ouch...?"

"Oh, Force, sorry! I didn't mean..."

"Yeah, I noticed," he grumbles.

"Sorry." Rey apologies again. Then, having just crossed her mind, she blurts, "How do you think you obtained your Force power in the first place?"

He scoffs. " _Power?_ I don't think I'd call it _power_. I've just...always been able to communicate with Kylo, and you've only shown up in my mind just recently."

"Huh."

Rey slams the crowbar violently into the toggle switch, causing it to explode in a frenzy of sparks. "Wait, did you know Kylo before he turned or something?"

"Yeah, I did. We were...close."

Rey smiles, imagining a young Poe and a young Kylo playing together on some grass-filled planet. She imagines they played some ship-related game, seeing as they both wound up to be amazing pilots.

Behind the toggle switch is a burnt and cut off wire. That would explain that. She cuts off a bit of unnecessary wire from a nearby lightbulb, and ties it onto the other one, checking to make sure the wires match perfectly. When they do, she tries the toggle again. It works. Rey grins at Poe, who gives her a slightly confused smile in return.

Rey pauses to wipe sweat off her brow before dropping to make sure the fuel is being transferred properly. Everything seems to be in order. She inwardly congratulates herself for her work, then motions to Poe, telling him, _I'm done_. He nods, following her back up the steep steps. For a brief moment in Rey's world, all is well.

But all is not well in the oxygen generator corridor. Rey dashes to help while Poe sprints to the cockpit to make sure the Falcon is moving again.

"Rey, are you sure you don't want to stop by a nearby planet to get this ship fixed?" He confirms.

"I'm sure!" She calls back.

She's reached the generator. "Okay, what's wrong? I was a floor below you, and I could hear you cursing."

"It...won't... _work!_ " Rose snarls at a metal box-like structure. Kylo seems to be tweaking small pipes and pistons inside the thing. Rey squeezes past Finn (who's spectating nervously), and Rose (who is attempting to reroute a current, by the looks of it: but she seems to know what she's doing). They're all crowded around a small opening that happens to be lightly smoking. _That must be the oxygen generator. Who knew it would be so...small?_

"Hey, Rey. How'd-it-go-with-the-fuel generator?" Kylo asks, ripping out a wire with each annunciated word.

"It went fine. We're up and moving again." Poe answers before Rey can open her mouth. "We're just a ship, running out of oxygen, flying at light speed now. Nothing strange about that."

"Great. There'll be parts of us in different galaxies if this doesn't crack out." Kylo mutters, reminding Rey painfully of Han. Rose cringes. Finn looks like he wants to say something, but refrains. Rey grabs one of the wires Kylo's torn out and examines it.

"It was because of an override. We were using too much oxygen for the system to handle." She announces.

"So, what, are we supposed to stop breathing air or something?" Poe inquires sarcastically. Rose's chest stops rising briefly, then begins moving again as soon as she realizes it was intended as a joke.

"No, I think we just have to rewire the pistons to generate faster." Finn steps in.

Kylo and Rey turn away from their work to stare at him.

"How...how did you know that?" Kylo inquires.

"I worked in sanitation. It was part of my job to clean the oxygen generators." Finn says, embarrassed.

"Holy Force! That's genius!" Kylo exclaims. "But first we'll have to—"

"Use both primary and secondary fuel tanks to compensate for the extra generating." Rey, Kylo, and Finn say in unison. _Whoa._

"Don't you all know what you're doing, then? Get to it!" Rose shrieks at them. Kylo jumps a little, then springs into action. "Right...Poe, there's a manual in the cockpit, should be under the pilot's chair. I need you to find it and turn to page thirty nine. There should be a diagram there how to increase the power levels of the ship. Follow the instructions for the shield generator, but perform the steps on the oxygen one. Rey, Finn, you're coming with me. Rose, follow Poe into the cockpit and look for a little gauge next to the compressor. That's the oxygen gauge. Give us regular updates on how much we have left. Everyone know what to do?"

Surprised by his sudden leadership skills, Rey nods, and the rest of the team nods, too. Apparently, all boundaries and reservations have been forgotten in the heat of the moment, because Kylo and Finn are actually agreeing on something. Rey wonders if she'll live to see a spectacle like this again.

"Okay! Ready... _break!_ " Poe shouts, and team Craters separates to fix the ship. Kylo and Finn lead the way as they bound back down to the fuel cells, and Rey smiles to herself. _Maybe this is just what they need to be brought together,_ Rey thinks drops to his hands and knees and begins working on Rey's repaired toggle furiously. He seems to be keeping her repairs, but is also adding ones of his own. Kylo's fixing the burnt fuel cell, though he's using tactics Rey doesn't know of and therefore can't follow. Instead, she makes her way over to Finn and cautiously begins helping him—she recognizes _his_ maneuver, at least.

"We're at sixty-five percent oxygen!" Rose shrieks from above. "That's a health hazzard!" Finn curses at the announcement, and starts working at twice the speed. Rey tries to keep calm and continues oiling the pistons.

It's several minutes before Kylo gasps, "Done!" and Finn replies, "Okay, give me a sec—Force!" and the fuel cell sparks. Rey backs up, wondering if letting Finn help was such a good idea on Kylo's part. Kylo dashes over, inspects the damage, and ignites his Lightsaber. "Stop!" Rey cries, but he's calmly sliced the fuel cell cleanly in half.

"Try it now." He offers.

Finn gives Kylo a puzzled (but not necessarily hostile) look, and tries the toggle again. A faint humming noise emits from the cell, and the pistons begin moving of their own accord. "Yes!" Finn shouts, punching his fist into the air. Rey grins, too, but knows it's not over yet.

"We still need to make sure the oxygen generator is fixed." Rey reminds her celebrating friends. Kylo nods, and Rey leads the way back up the steps purposefully: they still have a job to do.

Poe's nose is in the manual, and he's barely watching what he's doing as he attempts to fix the generator. Finn jumps down and quickly loosens a bolt, then backs away. Rey understands: _Poe needs to be able to do this, especially if Craters is going to be a long term team._

Several tense minutes pass. Poe seems to be whispering to himself urgently, but Rey can't quite decipher what he's saying. She has a feeling he's ordering himself around. The only thing that interrupts the stressful silence is Rose, informing them that they have sixty percent of oxygen left, and they should begin taking small and drawn out breaths. Rey feels faint as she obeys.

She decides to spend precious words instructing Poe what to do next—according to the book, all should be well. Rose's gauge says otherwise.

"Reset the compressor." She manages. He gives her a frightened look before doing so. She watches his every move carefully, as do Kylo and Finn. He presses a few buttons and pulls a lever when a mechanical voice intones, "Compressor resetting."

A long pause. Rey doesn't dare breathe.

"Compressor reset. Oxygen level regulations compensating."

A sharp hissing sound begins out of one of the vents. Tentatively, BB-8 rolls over and scans the area, then announces: _Oxygen!_

"Force, Poe! We did it!" Finn shouts ecstatically. Oxygen is pouring from every vent now, cooling the air and making it easier to breathe. Rey lets out a long breath, relieved beyond belief.

"Thank the Force. Rose! It's okay!" Rey calls, and Rose emerges not a second later, pointing back to where she came. "The gauge! It's rising! You did it!"

Cheers erupt from the living room, and even Kylo joins in. There's a faint smell from the fuel cell room whose door no one's bothered to shut, but at the moment, no one cares. It's such a relief to be alive that they break out their fanciest rations and have a small-scale feast, seating themselves on the hard grated floor and laying the food out in front of them. Rey's never seen anything like it. Rose finds an old record somewhere, and they listen to old recorded cantina music, some alien talk show in another language no one can speak, and a skit mocking the Empire.

They talk and laugh, remembering the adventures that brought them together, with no words of the uncertain future or Jedha. They move to the cockpit, where they sit in respectful silence, staring at the beautiful, glowing blue of light speed. They divide into teams and play the chess game: Rey and Kylo versus Poe, Finn, and Rose. Rey and Kylo win. Rey's overjoyed, but not because of the victory—the fact that they can do and enjoy activities like these meets every single daydream and fantasy she'd had during her lonely life on Jakku. Though the team called themselves "Craters", she doesn't get the same feeling from them as she did when she was actually there. She can't decide if that's a good thing, but hopes so.

They assume it's nighttime (there is no clock) when everyone begins yawning and drifting off during long stories from Poe about various missions, and Rey decides to assign everyone to their bunks. Finn, Poe, and Kylo leave for the crew's quarters (across the hall from the oxygen generator), Rey lies down on the bed in the living room, and Rose happily claims the curved couch. Rey finds she can be optimistic again about their odds now that they're fully working together, and feels herself falling asleep with this in mind.

She's almost unconscious when Poe's voice drifts out from the hallway.

"Craters are formed by shooting stars."

Rey falls asleep smiling.

* * *

 **A/N: Some may call this chapter "filler", but I would disagree, because I think it puts some worries to rest about the team as a whole. Let me know what you think by leaving a review!**

 **The next and FINAL chapter will be posted on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Expect it to be long.**

 **Make sure to follow (no point now, really, but still), favorite, and review! May the Force be with you in these final days!**


	24. Chapter 24: Fin

**A/N: Believe it or not, the last chapter is upon us. It's been a long journey, guys! Since I know most readers will probably skip the rest of the A/N at the bottom, I'll include the important stuff here. However, there IS stuff at the bottom, if you remotely care.**

 **Guest: Thanks a lot! I do try to incorporate humor so it's not *too* dark. I hope The Last Jedi is like that, too. We'll have to see!**

 **I should be posting a fanfic based on or a sequel to The Last Jedi a few days to a week after its release, so watch out for that if you enjoyed this! As promised, it IS out before the fifteenth and the fourteenth, and I almost didn't make that goal, so I'm pretty proud of myself.**

 **For those concerned: this chapter is half a flashback (I don't know what to call it), and half the end of the series. I hope you enjoy. I'm still reading your reviews (although they're passed through my editor, Nightingale, before they're delivered to me), so make sure to drop one if you'd like. Remember to favorite if you enjoyed! No need to follow now, though I greatly appreciate those who did. Happy reading! It's been amazing writing for you guys! *Hugs***

 **Sorry for the long A/N. On to the story.**

* * *

The week is over before Kylo knows it.

It's been a wonderful week, one of the best in Kylo's life. _The_ best, even.

Though most of them had just recently formally met, they got along as if they'd known each other their whole lives. Kylo and Poe had had time to sort things out between them, too, which Kylo was more than relieved for.

"Hey, Dameron, can I talk to you for a moment?" He'd said.

The pilot had stood up from his usual place on the couch, next to Finn and Rey, and nodded. They'd gone into the cockpit, out of earshot, and conversation had soon flowed from the living room once again.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to say...I don't want to pretend that we've never met before. I know we were friends in the past...you know it...Force, even _Rey_ knows it. We don't have to ignore part of who we are." He'd explained.

Poe had smiled softly, nodding and looking down. "Sounds good."

There was an awkward pause, and Kylo thought he could sense Rey listening in in his mind. He'd tried to push her out—it didn't concern her.

"You're a good man, Ren." The pilot said next, patting his shoulder. "I can see why Rey thinks you're worth fighting for."

And with that, he'd left, ducking out of the cockpit to join the rest of the team. But Kylo had dropped to the pilot's chair, wondering what the Force to do. For one thing, he didn't consider himself a _good man_ : he had been rightfully accused of treason (twice, now) and patricide. But he'd been more confused by the second part—why would Rey fight for him in the first place against Snoke? He'd been aware it'd occurred since he'd woken up—otherwise he'd be long dead—but he'd been plagued by the question of _why_.

He still doesn't know the answer.

Though Finn's daily planning meetings had persisted throughout the trip, they'd been infinitely less stressful than the first one. For one thing, there were hardly any disagreements, which helped ease the tension dramatically. For another, Rose had taken to playing the record they'd found during the meetings (particularly the humorous parts) to give a lighter air. So, while they discussed attacks from natives on Jedha, a Rebel comedian from forty years ago discussed clones in the background, occasionally chiming in with things such as, "Don't you think those little vacuum droids are a waste of space?" and "So, I hear Skywalker's saved the day again. What's next, a _scavenger_ beating a _Sith Lord?_ ". Rey and Kylo'd laughed particularly hard whenever that gimmick came on. Finn'd always listened in for some form of "What's next, a defective Stormtrooper?", but it never came. Poe brought up the point that the idea was too otherworldly to make a joke out of at the time. Finn'd sulked in the supply closet for an entire day after that, until Rose lured him out with strange cake-like pastries she called "cookies". They'd all tried one after that, and though they'd all liked them, it was Finn who had ended up enjoying them the most.

Other than planning, Rey and Kylo had been convinced by Rose and Poe to continue with some minor Lightsaber training, which they only did half of the times they were supposed to. The other half was spent searching the Holonet (when they were close to systems and could get a signal) for pictures of freighter ships, and laughing about their time in the craters. That particular subject had also been one of the most popular at mealtimes, when Rey and Kylo would be requested to relay their experiences, no matter how many times they'd done so previously. Crowd favorites were their individual alibis before they crash landed, the discovery of water, and especially the escape from the X-Wings (Poe always found the need to defend himself during this one, but Kylo and Rey assured him that they weren't remotely angry at him). Occasionally, Rose found the opportunity to squeeze the events of their first adventure (how Rey got off Jakku, etc.) out of the rest, but it wasn't often—most weren't as comfortable with telling that than more recent events, Kylo in particular.

Nights brought Rey and Rose talking late, sometimes for hours, and Poe grumbling something about how girls have the ability to survive off of zero sleep. Kylo finds rest easily, however— his dreams are no longer riddled with his old master, Snoke. Though Kylo knows the Dark Force user is out there somewhere, he's not wasting time with Kylo any longer. Sometimes, when the generators are quiet, he can hear snippets of their conversation: something about trading power converters and the outrages of ration inflation. They'd been ticking into their third hour up past Poe, Finn, and Kylo one night when a gruff voice had suddenly intervened: "Get to sleep, Force it, Rey."

She'd let out a little gasp before muttering consent. Rose had begun shooting off questions (as she did when excited or confused), but Rey refused to answer. Kylo had dashed into the living room, searching frantically for the voice he knew he'd heard, but Han was nowhere to be seen. Rey had murmured for him to get to sleep, and he'd obliged, wondering how in the name of the Force he'd managed to somehow become a Force ghost. _Probably smuggled his way in._

But that was not the last encounter with the Force ghosts, though the next ones had been far more conventional. It was as if Han had opened up a gateway for the others to come, and come they had. Padmé had been the next visitor, and she'd stayed for an entire day. There had been three voices talking late into the night that evening. Next came Obi-Wan, Kylo's original namesake, who simply jammed a helmet with a blocked visor onto Rey's head while she was training and left. Rey'd laughed about that encounter for days. After finally admitting the truth to Finn and Rose, the ghosts eventually became visible to them, too, though Kylo suspected that that was a rare exception in the natural laws.

Perhaps the most memorable visit was from Yoda, the ancient, green Jedi Master who'd completed Luke's training, as well as countless others'. He'd been the first ghost Rose and Finn had seen, and Rose had attempted to beat him over the head with a chair when he appeared a few feet beside her. Poe, who'd grown up listening to the legends, knew exactly who he was and had to wrestle Rose to get the chair out of her hands. Yoda simply watched as the chair passed through his body multiple times (which was a very strange thing to witness), asked, "Done, you are?" when the chair had been taken from Rose, and requested a private audience with Rey and Kylo. Rey, who'd been laughing during the spectacle, abruptly stopped. Kylo had more difficulty.

"Looking for the Gray Jedi, you are." He'd wisely said. Automatically, Rey had gone on the defensive and replied, "Yeah, and you're not going to stop us." Kylo'd started to agree with her, before he realized who they were talking to.

"Yoda! _You're_ the master who rediscovered the Gray Jedi!" He'd gasped, and the short master had nodded. Rey'd gone red.

"Okay, it is, Rey. Trouble, Skywalker gave you about this?" He croaked.

"Sort of." Rey blushed.

"Idiot, Skywalker is! Wise, _you_ are!" He replied.

She'd muttered a hasty "Thanks," and looked at Kylo nervously. Kylo read her mind, and received her input on the conversation: _What's_ he _doing here?_

He'd shrugged. Yoda had chuckled knowingly.

"A Force bond you share!" He exclaimed. They'd both replied, "Yeah," nervously, as if he'd somehow take offense to that.

He didn't.

"Wonderful, this is! Communicate, you will be able to! Helpful on Jedha this will be!"

"Yeah, I suppose so!" Rey said. Kylo knew she was just entertaining the master, however: the ability to communicate was what got them stuck in the craters in the first place.

"Why'd it be helpful on Jedha?" Kylo'd wondered. Yoda had smiled, something that had strangely given Kylo the chills.

"A wounded place, Jedha is." He'd said. "Lots of wounds, it has. Salt in the wound, you will rub."

There had been a full minute of silence. Yoda had looked from Rey to Kylo and back again without uttering a sound. Then, he'd croaked, "Rose and Finn, I must speak to," and left. Kylo'd sat down hard on the floor, mind reeling. Rey'd sunk down next to him. There had been another pause, before Rey'd asked, "Are you... _scared?_ "

"No."

"Are you scared of what we'll find?"

"Maybe."

She'd sighed, folding her hands across her lap.

"I was, too, you know."

He hadn't replied.

"It's natural to be afraid." She persisted.

No response.

"We've done all we can. We have a plan, unlike the heroes in the story when they visited Jedha. And _they_ ended up nearly getting blown up."

"What's your point?" He'd asked.

" _Nearly_ is the key word here. I'm just saying, we're at a better start. Do you know if the First Order's invaded this planet?"

He'd shrugged. "I keep telling you—the First Order only tells me what I need to know at that very moment."

"Right. Sorry."

Strangely, he'd been reassured by her words, though it wasn't her most inspirational pep talk. She'd sprung up, offered her hand to Kylo, and together, they'd walked into the living room again to find Rose being lectured by Poe about trying to kill Yoda with a chair. Kylo'd been able to wave at Yoda before joining in in the lecture, and the ghost had disappeared.

The ghosts had visited when they were occupied, too, so occasionally when Kylo and Rey were busy repairing a minor element of the ship, they'd see a transparent figure slipping around a corner. Sometimes, they'd stumbled upon them, too, and greetings such as "Oh, hello, Master Windu!" or "Master Qui-Gon! Would you like something to drink?" became regular, even amongst the non-Force users.

Though no sign of the First Order ever appeared on their scanners, they did regular drills, mostly involving using the smuggling chambers to hide in. Rey would fill the Falcon with a temporary poisonous gas, then stop its circulation when the drill was over. BB-8 would pretend to be a Stormtrooper, and keel over if they were silent long enough and if the gas had worked.

One of the most popular things the ghosts liked to say to Kylo was, "Snoke's still alive, you know. He'll look for you," as if he didn't know. There were other frequent phrases as well, but they had no significance and didn't make any sense to Kylo. Generally, the ghosts seemed pretty happy about their going Gray.

Though Rey and Rose often separated from the group, it was mostly everyone together—they never argued. However, Rey and Kylo spent most of their non-training time together, too. It was during one of these periods with Rey that she'd told him that she'd sensed Luke Skywalker on the Resistance Base. He was alive. They celebrated again that night.

The night afterword, while Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo had been persuaded to retell the story Rose called "Rey Gets Her Rear End Off Jakku", they'd received their first hologram from the Resistance. They'd accepted it, hoping for news about the First Order, making sure to disable tracking of the Falcon before they did so. They'd all crowded around the small hologram in the cockpit. There was so much tension in the air, Kylo'd almost expected someone to make a sudden outburst from pure stress, but no one did. When the flickering image appeared, it was a wide range one of nearly all of the Resistance. Rey'd shouted, "Look!", and there had been J2, waving cheerfully at them. Leia was at the front of the crowd. When the connection had been completely established, the Resistance had cheered—they'd been trying for days. Rey'd looked around at the crew while the Resistance was distracted anxiously, but Kylo'd assured her: "There's no way for them to reach us here." She'd nodded firmly, and returned her attention to the hologram.

The message wasn't _happy_ , but it wasn't as angry as Kylo would've expected. The officials made sure to inform the crew (Poe had to correct them—"It's _Craters!_ "—multiple times during the hologram) that should they ever return, they would be placed under immediate arrest and convicted for treason (as well as other individual charges). However, a very dejected Ackbar told them that the Resistance would not be initiating a search for the crew, simply because they needed to spend their resources elsewhere. That being such, they also let the crew know that there would be no outside interference from the Resistance whatsoever on their mission for the same reason. Rey had confidently replied that they didn't need nor _want_ their help, and moved to shut off the hologram, but Rose had stopped her. The Resistance crew had filed out, thinking the interaction was over, but Leia had remained.

"I'm glad you're safe, Ben."

And the hologram had been shut off from the General's end. Kylo'd excused himself angrily with Rey following close behind.

"Hey— _hey!_ Nothing's wrong. She's your _mum_. She's supposed to do stuff like that." She'd cried. Kylo had turned to face her, scowling.

"Of course," she'd added, " _I_ wouldn't know. _You're_ the one with the mum. You tell me."

Sudden guilt had flooded through him, and her gaze softened. "Sorry. I shouldn't have been that harsh. But it's true."

"I know."

"Then act more like it!" She'd playfully punched him in the arm. It stung, but not much. "Honestly! You'd probably be a flat out orphan without me here to stop you from Force choking her or something."

"I wouldn't Force choke her."

"I'm sure." She'd sarcastically confirmed.

That hologram had been the first of many. At the same time every night, it seemed, they received a hologram from the Resistance. Eventually, they'd learned, and stopped answering. Though the Resistance promised no interference would be given, they left daily messages giving advice and possible First Order locations (which, traveling at light speed, they didn't really need). Rey tried hacking into Jedha's holo system to inform them that they were arriving, but a firewall greeted her every time. After a few tries, spotted in grease and sweat, she'd given up, and left to use the shower.

But eventually, in the midst of the euphoria, anxiety took over the celebration. What was previously a distant dream was becoming a crushing reality. They resumed preparations with a more urgent tone. Nobody went out and said it, but things were starting to change...again.

And now, with less than three hours before they land, and no way of contacting Jedha still, Team Craters sits with nervous excitement, having done all of their preparations hours before. Kylo marvels at how much the group has changed and come together since the generators blew, and how they laugh anxiously now, still listening to the comedian poke fun at the Empire. It's been a form of therapy in the recent days: when a sense of gloom and anxiety settled over the crew, they'd gather tightly around the record, and listen to the man with the nasally voice talk about Stormtroopers' aim, Darth Vader, and the destruction of the Death Star. Eventually, Rose reaches over, and shuts it off, prompting protest from Finn and Poe alike.

"No, no, _listen_ , you guys! We've got three hours—we can't just _sit around_. Has the flag been made?" She asks Rey and Kylo.

Instead of responding, Rey holds up a massive tarp the size of a bedsheet. Kylo rises to help her spread it out, and after a few seconds, their flag is revealed. It took them five hours to complete: it's white, with a tan oval in the center and two figures on top, hands raised together in unity. Standing around them are three other figures, hands joined as well, and one small, ball-shaped one. They're all silhouettes, but it's pretty obvious who's supposed to be who. Written over the top of the oval is: _CRATERS_. The plan is to fly this flag, along with the universal white one of surrender, when they land to initiate a peaceful relationship right off. It was Rey's idea.

"Beautiful!" Poe exclaims, Finn nodding in agreement. "I guess I'm the one holding the helmet, then?"

"You got it." Kylo returns. "Finn, you have the blaster, and it's Rose who has the wrench. Right next to BB-8, see?"

"It's _perfect!_ " Rose beams.

"Glad you think so. Now, Rose, Poe, and Finn are in charge of going about the town and getting to know the people, right?" Rey asks.

"Yeah. We also need rations." Poe confirms.

"Wonderful."

Rey checks the clock. "One and a half hours until the Point of No Return."

The Point of No Return is the point at which Jedha's sensors (if they have any) will have detected the Falcon. To avoid looking suspicious, they've agreed that they need to fly confidently and with purpose. It's Poe's job to get the crew past the Point of No Return, mostly because he's been wanting to do it since they first boarded the Falcon.

They decide to eat, chewing their rations in comfortable silence. Kylo and Rey exchange brief words mentally, but there's not much to say. Kylo's stomach is doing flips.

Rose turns the record back on, and they listen to cantina songs from another time.

Rey seems to be lost in thought: without really meaning to, Kylo reads her mind. It's then when he realizes she's thinking about... _him_. Snoke, too, and Leia, but...

The question that haunted him since the start of the journey comes back again: _why_. Kylo still doesn't know the answer. He doesn't probe further into her mind.

Kylo supposes he's dreading going to Jedha, because the Point of No Return arrives in what seems like much less than an hour and a half. Rose seems startled, too, when Poe murmurs, "Jedha has the ability to sense us. We're past the Point of No Return. Only an hour to go, now."

This hour seems to take forever now that there's no turning back. Rey begins singing an ethnic song Kylo's never heard before in another language. Poe begins humming along, with Rose following in quick pursuit. Soon, they're all being taught the words to an ancient Jakkuan song, a song that whispers of better times, lost loves, and long days in the sun. Before Kylo knows it, they're singing just as good as she can, singing a song Kylo's positive that she's sung by herself a thousand times. It almost makes them understand her life pre-Finn's arrival better, though Rey is far from the author of the song. Kylo's sure that somewhere, on Jakku, millions of billions of miles away from where they stand, someone is singing that very song, their hope lost deep in the tan waves.

Rey tells them that the name of the song is, "There Is No Crying When You're Stuck in the Sand". Rose comments that the title fits perfectly, though the song itself isn't about crying nor the sand— it doesn't even mention those words. Rey calls it a _metaphor_. Kylo wonders how many times she'd cried on Jakku, utterly alone.

* * *

Shortly after everyone (Even Kylo, to her surprise) masters the Jakkuan song, the Falcon's autopilot informs Poe that they're landing on a steep plateau about ten miles from a nearby village. Poe returns from the cockpit with a grim smile on his face.

"We're going to do this!" He shouts, and they grin collectively. Having heard the story of Poe and Finn's escape multiple times, Rey can tell whenever they're making a reference ("Back to _Jakku_?!" was one of their favorites).

"Yeah?!" They reply, and Poe gives them the thumbs-up, telling the crew that they've gotten the reference correct. It's only a few more minutes until the gangplank drops open with a rush of steam, and they dash outside for the first time in weeks, plan in their minds. Before they separate, Finn reminds them rapidly: "Right. Rey and Kylo, raise the flag and wait for people to come. We're going to market to try and get food and try to find more about the town. Just like we've been planning for weeks. Okay?" He asks, taking a deep breath. He's greeted by claps and cheers. Rey can't believe they're actually on Jedha—she's been waiting for this moment for weeks, if not a month.

"Team Craters?" Kylo says uneasily. It's the first time he's ever said these words in front of the entire group, and he's obviously expecting a negative response. Instead, the chorus is deafening.

" _TEAM CRATERS!_ " They yell, pulling together for a quick huddle (that could also pass as a group hug) before they separate. Rose hugs Rey fretfully, and Rey whispers, "It's going to be fine. Don't worry." This comforts the maintenance worker, and she charges off with the rest of the group, leaving Rey and Kylo (along with an oversized flagpole and flag) standing alone on the plateau. The sun's just rising over the harsh cliffs and valleys, and the small cooking fires in the village are being put one by one. A group of maybe twenty looks to be exiting the village, armed by axe-like weapons, and dressed in dark. Rey gasps at the sight. Though they still have miles to go, the flag _must_ be up before they begin climbing the plateau.

They've crafted the flagpole out of unused piped welded together, and it weighs at least seventy five pounds, although it's mostly hollow. It's a two-Force user job to raise it into the hole they've dug, and requires some patience to loop the flags onto the flagpole using just the Force. The entire process takes about thirty minutes, but the group is still far enough off to be able to see the flags. _We've done it!_

They grin at each other, and Rey can't help but think how far they've come. Rey and Kylo first met in an empty forest, with nothing but a map serving as their motives. They battled with their minds in the interrogation room, and again with Lightsabers in a snowy clearing. They'd gone to their masters for guidance on how to conquer the other, but somehow both got sidetracked to Crait. With no one but each other, they'd been forced to work together...until they hadn't. Somewhere along the line, they'd made the _choice_ to work together. Rey doesn't know when, but she's sure that they have. And now, here they stand, on the brink of their destinies. While the Rey fresh out of Jakku would've jumped into battle with the approaching villagers without a second thought, the Rey fresh out of Crait knows better. The new Rey knows that waiting is sometimes the better option. The new Rey understands that sometimes, all someone needs is a second chance. The new Rey acknowledges that the side all the good people are on doesn't mean that it's the right side, and one may need to carve their own path if they don't see one exactly to their standards already existing. The new Rey is wiser, and yet somehow more curious than the old Rey. Most of her answers have been turned into questions. She knows most of her questions won't be answered in the near future, if at all, but has hope that some will.

Kylo walks over and stands next to her, facing the sunrise. He looks a bit nervous for what's to come, but he's still smiling. _He never would've done that a month ago,_ Rey realizes. They don't speak, they just _look_ , soaking in the sun that's been missing from the Falcon for so long.

And Rey senses something, something she'd only sensed once before, a glowing beacon of the Force, taking over her vision, appearing just beyond the horizon. The first time she saw it, it led her on the greatest adventure of her life—to Crait. Kylo doesn't appear to see it, because he says nothing.

"You know what, Kylo? I _do_ think Jedha has what we're looking for... the answers to the Gray are here, after all." Rey confesses, admitting he's right about the ancient planet for the first time in weeks.

There's a long pause.

Kylo nods, head turned to the horizon, his face washed out with sunlight. He turns to stare at her for a second. He extends his hand, but in a more formal way, as if he wants to shake her hand. She hesitates before she obliges. They shake hands as if they've just met—Rey tries to hide her confusion. She notices that his gloves are off. He seems suddenly confident—maybe being the one to shout the team name was invigorating. Finally, his mouth opens, and he speaks.

"Call me Ben."

 **Fin**

* * *

 **CRATERS**

* * *

 **A/N: Well, if you're still reading, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking through and reading the entire seventy two (maybe seventy three?) thousand words (WOW!). Please remember to favorite and review, and have a wonderful time watching The Last Jedi. I'll probably post my reaction to my profile, so look out for that! Once again, thanks so much for reading, and a very special thank you to my followers, favoriters, and reviewers. May the Force be eternally with you, and have a wonderful day!**

 **—Blue**


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